In the Wake of the Wolf
by MiSSxMADi
Summary: He said that he only showed me his true form so that he could trust me. How could I trust a dusty colored wolf pup, when they weren't supposed to exist? He said my name pleadingly. Leara.. LearaXToboe UPDATED OCTOBER 4 2008!
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first WR ff, and I'm very excited about it. I've only recently discovered Wolf's Rain; I haven't seen the last few episodes yet, though I do know how it ends, so that will play apart in my story.

The main character of my ff will be Leara. I was captivated with her, and I thought that it would be interesting to explore what happened to her later, after meeting Toboe.

And, yes, I will try to include Kiba & the others in some way later on.  
Any comments are welcome!

Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own Wolf's Rain or any of its characters. However, I do own my original characters.

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_**Prologue: A Memory**

_The years have flown by since that first encounter with the wolves. Yet even so, I can still remember the one wolf, the pup of the pack. He had seemed strange at first; who names their dog after himself? But I had seen the kindness in his eyes, the eager smile playing about his lips. How could someone so young and seemingly innocent prove to be such a monster? I should have known he was different when he told me his name._

_"I've already told you," He'd said, smiling. "It's Toboe."_

_Like the naive girl I was, I had accepted this odd stranger, and had hoped that we might have been friends. _

_I hadn't expected what had come next. _

_The image of my beautiful hawk, being thrust at me, his body limp, already growing cold. The boy's face, so appealing, sickened me. Why had he given me a token of death?_

_"My bird.. It's dead.." I remember saying. His face fell, tears pooling in his amber eyes._

"_Leara...Oh, Leara, I didn't mean to!" He said it pleadingly, and he almost won my pity, had he not uttered the next sentence. "I didn't mean to kill it!"_

_It was then that his sobs faded away to be replaced by a mourning howl, and I had seen his true nature. A slip of a wolf cub, with dusty brown fur and amber colored eyes. Even now, the recollection of his true form sends shudders up and down my spine. I had almost befriended a monster, a creature of myth. Who knows, he might have attacked me after he finished his inhuman song, had it not been for the black leather clad young man with gray hair, who yanked the beast away._

_I had stood there for a moment, my mind spinning, trying to forget what I had seen. Yet how could I forget with my already cold bird in my arms, the fang marks visible? How could I rid myself of the image of the boy becoming a wolf? I couldn't accept what I had seen, yet I couldn't deny it either. _

_When I told my father of my encounter, he merely laughed at first and regarded it as a child's active imagination. I didn't think of showing him the corpse of my hawk; I had managed to bury him in the spot where he had been killed. Looking back, I suppose that that would have been the best way to convince him. But my father was a stubborn man, who would rather hold fast to the idea of reality than the truth of the myths. He discouraged my so-called game, and told me that wolves had died out long ago. I hesitantly accepted my father's false ideas, hoping that maybe I could wrap myself up in this false reality and that my wolf would become like a distant dream. _

_It wasn't to be._

_Days later, I met him again. His coat was covered in trash, the silver bracelets on his foreleg dulled by the muck he'd managed to get into. At first, I was in disbelief. Hadn't my father said that wolves didn't exist? And yet, here he was, talking to me, his great amber eyes sad._

"_Leara, I didn't mean to scare you." Toboe had said, his ears laid flat against his head. "I only wanted to---"_

_The rest of his apology had been cut off by my screams. _

"_Daddy? Daddy?! DADDY! It's the wolf! The wolf is here!"_

_My cries for help had sent him running away with two other boys. Not to be discredited, I had foolishly raced after them, believing that if I managed to catch the dusty pup that my father would stop looking at me with fear in his eyes, and skepticism in his voice. When I reached the alleyway that I had seen the wolf cub take, I had come face to face with the false form of the wolf. A boy, slightly scrawny, with amber eyes and reddish-brown hair. I had blinked to make sure that it was the right boy, but his silver bracelets gave him away._

"_Why did you scream, Leara?" He had asked quietly, edging closer to me. "I only wanted to show you what I am."_

"_You stay away from me!" I had yipped. "It's not normal.. _You're_ not normal! How can I trust you?!"_

_His eyes had seemed sad then. "I tried to show you.. I guess Tsume was right.."_

"_LEARA!?!" _

_My father's voice had reached my ears and I turned my back foolishly to the wolf. However, my father did not meet me. Instead, a grizzled man stood behind me, reeking of vodka and gunpowder. He'd had a crazy gleam to his eyes as he roughly pushed me aside and yelled, "Where's the wolf at?"_

_One part of me wanted to answer him, to lead him to the wolf and have it destroyed. But the stronger part of me resisted. Why should I have the wolf named Toboe killed? _

_I was saved by the arrival of my father, who had quickly taken me up in his arms. "Leara, what's wrong? What happened?"_

_His questions were posed as a concerned parent, but how could I have told him the truth when he already considered me insane?_

_The days that followed were long, full of questions by the Noble's men, and incriminating glances that clearly said they believed I was crazy. I didn't fight the claims, but instead retreated from the world. As the months progressed, more wolves passed me by, and I could recognize each for what they truly were. All the while, I had to ask why. Why was I the only one who could see them? Why had I been chosen? Was it because of my meeting with Toboe? Or something else?_

_Six years have passed, and I still don't know the answer to those questions. The wolves had come less frequently to our city, and as they had been scarce before, it was rare to find one now. Yet when they do come, my emotions are overwhelmed. I do not hate the wolves, as some might think, yet I cannot stand the sight of them. Maybe I am crazy, as my father first accused those six years past. _

_My name is Leara, and I can see the wolves._


	2. Meetings

**A/N:**  
Here it is, the first chapter! I'm pretty pumped about this. Don't ask me why. Maybe its the fact that I'm being a procrastinator and avoiding studying for my finals by writing this. D  
Anyway, thanks so much for my two reviewers! Your reviews made my day.

**Disclaimer**: I wish I owned Wolf's Rain, because then I would be respondsible for creating Kiba.. drools and holds up a Kiba Fangirl sign But, sadly, I do not own this amazing anime.

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**Chapter 1**

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"Wolf! Wolf!"

My age mates take up the cry and I feel my spine stiffen instinctively. They stare, their eyes seeing past me, their mouths agape as if they're seeing something amazingly horrifying. I spin around, searching for the wolf.

_SPLAT!_

Laughter erupts as the remnants of the water balloon flow down my face, drenching me in icy cold water. I try to diffuse the scarlet blush of anger I feel blossoming on my cheeks, but I give up quickly. If they saw my humiliation, my rage, it would only egg them on. It didn't matter that they were mocking me again. At least, that's what I try to tell myself.

A girl strolls up to me, arrogance plain in the way she carries herself; shoulders back, head held higher than the rest of the girls surrounding her. The leader's eyes hold malice, malice as fierce as fire, directed solely at me.

"Aw, Leara, what happened?" Katsuye asks snidely. "The Big Bad Wolf get you?"

Katsuye throws her head back in laughter, and other follow suite, like a flock of stupid chickens. My age mates always follow Katsuye's lead because they're afraid that she'll victimize them next. She's the alpha of the pack of mongrels that make up the population of my city.

"The wolves will get you, Katsuye," I dare to say, "If you don't watch your back."

Katsuye's brown eyes narrow, and a gasp races through the assembled teenagers.

"Why should I be afraid of a myth?" She snarls. "What can a legend do?" Katsuye pauses for dramatic effect and then hisses loudly, "Unless _you're_ challenging me, Leara. Or should I say, Lunar Leara?"

The use of my degrading nickname barely bothers me anymore. It's been years since I allowed myself to be hurt by the others, who don't understand what I saw those six years past. But Katsuye's smug smirk makes me feel bolder.

"Why don't you come down from your high horse and find out?" I say quietly. The onlookers murmur in surprise. I've never tried to confront my chief tormentor, and the shock is visible on Katsuye's face. A flicker of fear twists her smug smile into an uncertain one.

"I'm not going to dirty my hands by beating up an insane girl who sees wolves." Katsuye recovers smoothly. Katsuye's cronies chuckle, glad to have the tension of a possible conflict cleared from the air. I hang my head, my anger already dying.

A boy steps from the crowd and takes Katsuye's hand. He is short and stocky, with a broad, square face and dirt colored hair. "C'mon, babe," He coos. "Let's get outta here. Leara's no fun to play with, anyway."

Katsuye frees her hand from his, swatting him away like a pest. "I don't think that Leara's learned her lesson yet," She says, and there's pure venom in her tone. She takes a step in my direction, only to be restrained by the squat, boring boy. He nudges her ear with his lips.

"Katsuye, honey, let's go. Find her later." He suggests, his voice husky. "Let's spend a little quality time, huh?"

Quality time. Right.

Katsuye's body softens and her vicious grin is replaced by one of a love struck girl. Or a hormonal one, anyhow.

She slips her hand back into his, just as he slips his other hand down the back of her shorts. She giggles.

Pig.

The boy shouldn't be doing that, either.

"All right, Dyue," Katsuye says. "Back to my house, then."

With the promise of lust in the air, the crowd dissipates, leaving me alone. Not that it ever bothers me. I prefer being alone than putting up with the taunts of the other kids my age. I continue on my way back to my home, shopping bag in hand. It was extremely lucky they hadn't tried to take my groceries. This time, anyway. Father would have been furious.

I walk down the streets of the dying city, and I feel my heart put away its well-used armor. I hop over a pile of something slimy, the stench making me nauseated. Everything had gone down hill since the previous Noble had died—been assassinated, more correctly--- and Jaguara had taken over. In the days of my youth, the city had been decrepit, the traces of beauty and promise still lingering. Now it was a skeleton, a painful remnant of the years in which humanity had flourished before falling so low. The population had become like its city; dirty, shady and unpredictable. Fights were common, and the death toll was constantly rising.

No wonder the wolves had fled. If given a choice, I would too.

At the thought of wolves, my heart flutters with trepidation. They were my constant sources of fear and hope, anguish and pleasure. I hadn't seen one in a year or so, since a gray female had passed through, claiming she was trying to find some place sacred to the wolves. She'd long since vanished, but every time a wolf appeared, I was the only one who could see them for what they truly were. I had often tried to show others the wolves, only to be laughed at and called crazy, much to the humiliation of my father.

I nearly pass by my house, so entangled am I in the chaos that is my childhood. I retrace my steps and quickly unlock the door, before hustling inside and slamming it shut again. It was sunset; a time when the shadows of the city awoke and began to hunt. I latch the door and walk through the living room, ignoring the dust that stirs as my feet hit the ground. My father and I hadn't kept the house clean since my mother had died two years past. I go to the kitchen, where I find my father in his usual spot; sitting at the kitchen table, staring off into nothingness. He sees me out of the corner of his eye and turns to look at me, his gaze dull.

"D'you get the booze?" He asks as a greeting. Silently, I reach into the bag and pass him a bottle of vodka. He yanks the top off and takes a long swig, while I busy myself by unloading the rest of the groceries.

"How was your day, Dad?" I ask, trying to bring back a shred of normalcy to our otherwise dysfunctional life. He roughly swipes his hand over his mouth and slurs.

"Productive," He gives a tight, cheerless smile. "I drank about five bottles of booze and didn't pass out yet."

I turn my head so he doesn't see the grimace that twists my features and sigh.

"Must be a record."

He laughs. "I bet I'll break it by tonight, Lyssa."

A silence descends on the room, brought on by the use of my mother's name. Father had broken one of our unspoken laws, and the awkwardness that follows makes him take another deep draught of alcohol. He had taken my mother's death far worse than I had, and it had drove him to drink more than he'd ever had.

"Daddy…" I begin to say, trying to think of something to comfort him. Before I can finish, he falls forward in a blissful, drunken stupor. For a moment, I pity him; he's had to live the last six years of his life listening to accusations of an insane daughter and then coping with the loss of his wife. I gently wrench the bottles out of his strong grasp and place them in the cabinets. A rat that had been hiding in the cabinet eyes me, sizing me up like Katsuye had done only moments before. It flickers a long bald tail before trotting off, labeling me less of a threat than the bottles I was holding.

The anger surfaces again at the sight of the rat. Even the common vermin thinks I'm useless. If it hadn't been for those wolves, my life could have been normal. I wouldn't be called Lunar Leara. I could live my life without the distrustful gazes of my age mates, the guilt of knowing that I was slowly shaming my father to his grave.

I toss the remaining groceries on the counter, suddenly claustrophobic. I need cool, refreshing air. I race out of the house, as if I could run away from my memories and my father, and exit into the night.

I run and run, down the decaying city streets, toward the very heart of its corpse. The sight of the great tree's towering branches eases my fluttering heart, and I collapse underneath it. Absentmindedly, I stroke the bark of the tree, grounding myself by the rough texture. Someone told me that it had once been the meeting place for a gang lead by a man called Tsume, though now it was only an abused reminder of what the earth used to look like. I look up through the stretching branches and see a rare sight. A faint sliver of silver: the moon, returning from its short disappearance in the night sky and growing full again.

I sigh and nestle at the base of the tree. My eyes stay on the moon, and my thoughts stray.

I wonder, as I often do, where the wolves had fled. The memory of the gray female comes back strongly, and I loose myself amidst it.

When I saw her, she was walking along the main heart of the city, towards the marketplace. It was like my eyes had been magnetized; I couldn't look away. She appeared to be a normal young woman; she was thin and fair, with long chestnut hair and common, almost nondescript, facial features. Her gray eyes betrayed her; fierce and proud, and flickering with an unbridled wildness. We passed by one another, and as I watched, the image was replaced by a sleek and thin she-wolf, with a pelt the color of storm clouds. I blinked and found myself face to face with the wolf's human form, both of us having stopped in the middle of the street.

"_I don't mean you any harm, she-wolf," I said quietly. Her eyes had only briefly widened in surprise, before she snarled and yanked me away from the prying eyes of those around us. I hissed in surprise and looked down to see a bruise forming from where she'd grabbed me._

"_How do you know me for what I am?" She growled._

"_My name is Leara." I replied. "I can see behind your kind's pretenses. I don't know why, but I can." I swallowed the lump in my throat and continued. "You can't stay here, in this city."_

_She snorted in disbelief. "Why would I stay in such a wretched place? I will be long gone from here by tonight, and continue on my journey."_

_Curiosity overwhelmed me, and I had to ask. "To where?"_

_Her eyes softened, and she said in a quiet voice. "To Paradise."_

I don't hear the first snap of grass underfoot, and I don't see myself being surrounded. It is only when I feel the first hiss of sharp steel against my skin and feel the blood snaking down my arm that brings me back to reality and realize I'm in deep trouble.

I jump to my feet, clutching my arm where the blade kissed my skin. Six men, and a shockingly familiar face surround me.

"Katsuye." The name passes my lips with only a slight tremor.

She smiles wickedly and takes a small bow. "Wolf-Girl. Thought we'd find you here."

Her eyes, when they meet mine, are glassy and maniac. There's something wrong with her, something terribly, terribly wrong.

"You shouldn't have said that to me earlier, you know," She slurs. She stumbles forward, laughing. _Is she drunk?_ I think to myself. She doesn't smell of alcohol. What else could it be?

"Can't have you showing me up in front of my friends, now can I? I have to show you the consequences of disrespecting me."

She gestures to the men behind her and fear has me in its grasp. Flashes of silver catch my eye as the men each pull a knife from their pockets.

"Gonna teach you a lesson, girl." One thug thunders. He, too, has a feverish look about him. I recognize him as Dyue, the boy from earlier.

"Katsuye, think about what you're doing," I try to reason. "You don't want to hurt me. That'd just cause more trouble for you, especially when my father talks to the Noble's men and they search for my killer."

She laughs. "I doubt your father will sober up enough to realize you're missing."

They circle me, drawing the net closer, and my heart leaps to my throat. There's no way I can escape them. I take a deep breath at the sight of a flashing knife, ready to scream for help, when the attack begins. My plea for help never passes my lips, as I'm knocked to the ground. Half of them kick me viciously, while others rain punches on my head. I struggle against them, lashing out blindly and scratching at them with my fingernails. Somehow, I manage to connect with flesh. I dig my nails in deeply, satisfied to hear a yell of pain, and am rewarded with a hard slap to my face. The coppery taste of blood fills my mouth, and I resist the urge to gag. I look up at my killers, my vision darkening. _Is this really how it was supposed to end?_ I think. _Beaten by a bunch of thugs?_ Anger surges in my veins, and I fight back harder, keeping my focus on not blacking out. I won't allow myself to die this way.

A shape leaps from out of nowhere and tackles two of the men, silencing their screams with a quick and efficient hit to the throat. In the blink of an eye, three other men are down, moans escaping their lips. I manage to sit in an upright position and see that Katsuye and Dyue are left standing together, staring dumbly as the shadowy figure turns to them, thunderous snarls erupting. My rescuer is cloaked by the shadow cast by the great tree, but somehow, I sense he's familiar. Katsuye, trembling, turns and runs away. Dyue, surprisingly, stands his ground. The knife flashes in his hands.

"C'mon, punk," He taunts, "Let's see what you've got!"

My rescuer reacts instantly, launching himself what must have been five feet. In the blink of an eye, he's standing before Dyue. He whispers something so only Dyue can hear it.

And then Dyue is falling to the ground, blood spurting from his gaping throat. He hits the ground with a soft thud, his lifeblood pooling on the welcoming dirt. A gasp of horror hisses through my clenched teeth. A shadow falls on me, and I look up to face my savior.

A tall youth, with a wiry frame, dressed in a red shirt and tan cargo pants that are familiar to me. His face has narrowed since the last time I saw him, his baby fat finally gone, revealing sharp cheekbones and a handsome face. A stubborn chin, and full lips that are covered in Dyue's blood. His nose is straight and petite for a young man's, but his eyes, which stare boldly into mine, are the same color I remember. Vivid, startling amber.

I say only one thing, in gratitude and fear.

"Toboe."


	3. Recognition

**Disclaimer: **Though I am a HUGE Kiba fangirl, I do not own him..Sadly..

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**Chapter 2**

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I can't help but stare at origin of my nightmares. He's different than what I remember, and yet also achingly familiar all at once. The same clothes, the same silver bracelets on his arm. However, the easy innocence in his startling eyes has vanished, replaced by a world-weary shadow that haunted them. He reaches out a hand, stepping over Dyue's body in careless disregard, though a puzzled expression unfolds on his features when he hears me say his name.

"I'm sorry, but have we met before, Miss?"

_He doesn't remember me!_ I think to myself. I force myself to meet his gaze, and for a moment, I see his true form. My eyes widen appreciatively. No longer is he a gangly, long-limbed pup. Toboe has grown into a sleek and handsome wolf, with a dark brown coat and a lighter tan fur around his eyes and muzzle. His silver bracelets, slightly tarnished from age and being through God knew what, flash in the faint light of the sickle moon. However, there's something hazy about him; like I'm looking at him through a fog, blurring my vision and softening his shape to a distant streak of fur. My concentration wavers, and I see the youth projection before me.

"Let me help you up." He says gently. "Then we'll go get you cleaned up. They cut your arm, but it only looks like a scratch. How did you get them so angry?"

My eyes wander pass him, and I see the already cooling body of Dyue. I see the blood on his lips, and I shudder. "Stay back," I hiss. "Murderer."

Toboe's eyes harden. "I'm not a murderer. I was protecting you."

The truth of his words hits me and stiffly, I reach out and accept his outstretched hand. With my all-seeing eyes, I caught a glimpse of the real Toboe—though still unnaturally blurry--- supporting me by gently clasping the sleeve of my shirt in his strong jaws and tugging me slowly backwards. I manage to get to my feet, clutching my sliced arm weakly. My ribs ache dully, and I sigh in relief. No broken bones.

I find myself staring at the wolf Toboe, questions burning in my mind. Why had he come back now, after so many years? He obviously didn't remember who I was, so why had he helped me? And if I were to remind him, would he even recall our meeting?

Toboe looks at me strangely. "You smell familiar."

My crooked grin widens, and I shake my head slowly. I'm surprised when my voice resurfaces. "…I'm fine…just…"

What words could I use to describe the emotional maelstrom I was currently fighting?

Instead, I point to Dyue's corpse. "How are you going to explain that to the Noble's men?"

Toboe's true form lifts his lips in a slight growl. "Self-defense. They would have killed _you_, if I hadn't shown up."

I feel grateful to the wolf before me, yet the sight of a human corpse makes me tremble. "Katsuye won't let you get away with killing him." I say. "She'll hunt you down with her own gang."

Toboe shrugs nonchalantly. "Who's Katsuye?"

"The girl that ran away from you."

He laughs darkly. "Let's see her try anything. I won't lay a hand on me." He appraises me with distant eyes. "Not like you, however."

The dun-colored wolf before me frowns in concern. "Let me take you to a healer."

I laugh, a harsh mocking sound. "There hasn't been a healer in this city in years. No need for one. Most people don't usually come off as easily as I did tonight."

He takes in my answer, but I can tell it doesn't surprise him. He tries conversation again.

"Where can you get some medical help, then?"

"And by the way, I haven't caught your name."

Such a simple question catches me off guard, and I blanche. "Erm… Lyssa."

My mother's name rolls off my tongue before I can stop it, and it hovers in the air like a broken thing. I can see that Toboe senses I'm lying---what half-wit couldn't? --- But he accepts it without questions.

"Well then, Lyssa, what do you suppose we do? I can't just leave you in this condition."

I look down at myself. Blood streaks the front of my shirt, and I can already feel the bruises blooming on my face. Black and blue are not my colors.

"I know somewhere I can go," I say, suddenly thinking of my own secret place. "A little ways from here. I know I'll be safe there, for the night."

Toboe flicks a strand of red hair from his eyes, and then nods resolutely. "Might as well follow you there to make sure I don't have to save you again."

"Thanks, Mr. Chivalrous, but I'll be fine." I snap back. This certainly isn't the Toboe I remember. I suddenly didn't want him following me around. Wolves meant trouble. "I can take care of myself. Maybe you should stay here and take care of a few things. Say, I don't know--- _that dead guy right there?_"

He snorts. "That guy got what was coming to him."

"And you're going to get what's coming to you when I say _get lost_."

I turn my back to him and begin walking toward my hideout, thinking I'd lost my tagalong, but soon enough I hear the echoes of footsteps (paw steps?) behind me. We walk quietly for a minute or two, though I'm more limping along than walking. I don't know why I can't stand to send him away. After all, he'd just killed a man. Albeit a crazy, drunken one, intent on killing _me_, but a man still.

_You welcome the danger he brings,_ Something inside me whispers. _Wolves are your destiny._

We walk until I call for a stop before a closed bakery in a horrible state. Glass reflects the surrounding light and glitters with the promise of danger, like a fanged beast. The door to the bakery has been nailed shut, the nails rusted and weak. The sign above the door once read, 'Rise'n'Shine Bakery,' though now several of the letters are missing. To the left is an alleyway, which I take without a second thought. Halfway down the alley, a large metal grate covers what was once the basement of the bakery. I find the pair of pliers that I usually use to pull out the screws on the hinges, but as I try to clamp them on the screw, my arm protests in pain.

"Here, let me." Toboe takes over without even bothering to take the pliers. His projection flickers, and I see the sleek wolf biting the hinges with his powerful jaws. Quick as a flash, he rips them open. I shiver at the sight, and it makes me rethink what I'm doing taking a wolf into my sanctuary without telling anyone. I didn't think I was this suicidal.

"Ladies first." Toboe says with his smiling human face. I sit on the ground before hopping into the back void that is the basement, Toboe at my heels. He secures the grate back in its original spot, while I rummage in the dark and find my spare supply of candles. The flickering light engulfs the shadows of the basement. Over the years, I've brought some furniture to my place; a three legged chair, a creaky table and a holey mattress I scavenged from a junk pile. Wooden crates lay strewn about, marked 'Bagels' or 'Bread', from a time when the bakery was busy. I hobble over to the crates and pull out a loaf of bread encased in a vacuum-sealed bag that was made to last decades. I toss it to Toboe, who catches it with easy, unnatural grace before making himself comfortable on my chair.

"Thanks." He says, though he doesn't open it. Instead, he watches me as I find the old first aid kit hidden behind a fallen shelf and grab the antiseptic. I pour half of the bottle on the cut on my arm and hiss at the expected sting.

"You know, you never answered my question," Toboe says unexpectedly.

"What question?" I absentmindedly ask, rubbing the antiseptic into my cut with my good hand.

"The one where you know my name."

I stop what I'm doing, dumbfounded. Great. How could I get away with this one? Do I tell him? Or continue my charade of ignorance? The antiseptic cream burns, and I continue to rub it in.

"I met you once," I find myself saying in a near whisper. "A few years ago."

He stiffens, and looks at me with wide eyes.

"How long ago?" He asks, deathly quiet.

"Six years."

"What was I doing here?"

I blink, amazed by his lack of recollection skills. "How am I supposed to know what a wo—you were doing here?" I recover quickly. "Shouldn't you tell me that?"

He lowers his head, and behind his projection, his true form lowers his tail in a defeated manner. "The thing is… I can't remember."

I stare at him uncomprehendingly. "What do you mean, can't remember?"

"What do you think I mean?" He growls. "I have amnesia."

At that moment, I wouldn't be shocked if the moon were turn purple and dance across the night sky.

"Amnesia?" The word feels like poison on my tongue.

Toboe nods. "I woke up about a week ago, and I can't remember anything before that. Well, actually," He corrects himself. "I faintly remember looking for something called…paradise."

I carefully put down the medical supplies, my mind reeling. Was this some kind of sick joke?

"So you don't remember what you are?" I blurt out. Toboe frowns.

"What do you mean, 'what I am?'"

I stare into his eyes, weighing my options. Lie for the hundredth time that night, or tell him what is rightfully his birthright?

The answer lies within his expression; one of unnecessary torment and fierce curiosity.

"Don't you find that you're… different… from the other people you've met?" I ask cautiously. I hope I'm doing the right thing.

His frown deepens. "In what way?"

"Normal people don't have the sense of smell that you do," I begin. "They can't tear a metal grate off its hinges, or move as… gracefully as you do." I take a deep breath before continuing, and look at the blood on Toboe's mouth. "Most don't…kill… as indifferently you did tonight."

The line of his mouth tightens. "I told you already, it was self defense."

"A man's still dead."

He jumps up in a rage. "Are you saying you _wanted_ me to let those men kill you?"

The wolf is snarling, his fangs bared and his eyes murderous.

"You're a wolf, for god's sake!"

My outburst shocks both of us, and silence ensues.

He stares, dumbfounded. "A…wolf?"

"Yes."

"They don't exist." He says, but his words are strangled. "They're just legends."

"You're wrong," I argue. "The wolves hide in plain sight of humans. They can twist my kind's minds, so that they see another person instead of a wolf."

"So? That doesn't prove that I'm one."

God, he's stubborn. I glare at him. "You want to know how I really know you?" I ask viciously. "It's because six years ago, you came to this city. I fed you sausages because I thought you were a stray dog." My voice flares in anger. "But then I met a boy, my age or so, who said he was the owner of the dog I took care of. He said he wanted to be my friend, but then I saw him for what he really was. A wolf; a wolf pup. His illusion fell away before my very eyes, and I went screaming."

"That wolf was you, Toboe."

Recognition lights in his eyes. "The girl…that girl who I liked…"

I smile grimly. "Her name---my real name--- is Leara."

Before my eyes, Toboe's human disguise completely melts away, and I'm left with the strong wolf. The haze that had been surrounding him vanishes, leaving a strong, clear image in its wake. Toboe blinks in surprise and looks at himself in amazement.

_Leara…_ It's his voice I hear, though the wolf's lips make no movement. _I remember now. I remember everything that happened to me, and the others; Hige, Tsume and Kiba. Cheza and Blue. Our quest to be the wolves to find _**it**His ears flatten. _My death…_

There's no time for me to take in his words before he pushes on

"But why are you back, Toboe?" My voice is lower than a whisper.

His amber eyes stare into my own, the fierce and wise gaze of a predator. _Because my pack and I were expelled from Paradise.._

* * *

**A/N:**

Ah, I love cliffhangers! -smiles evilly-  
But anyway, I'd love some feedback. I was a bit worried that this chapter moved kinda fast, or that Toboe was _way_ out of character. But, given the fact that it's been a while, I'd like to think that he toughened up a bit.

Reviews Equal Love!  
Reviewers Equal My Best Friends!  
:)

Till next time!  
-Madison


	4. Revenge

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

I feel my mouth fall open, and my eyes widen. "What do you mean, 'expelled'?" I ask. "And what is this paradise, anyway? Every wolf I met mentions it."

Toboe's form stays as a wolf in my view, and his amber eyes dance as he explains.

_Paradise is a place where it is said that there is peace and prosperity,_ He says, his voice hushed in reverence. _But it can only be found by wolves, and wolves rule it. It was only a legend, a fanciful fairy tale, until Kiba came along, searching for it. He knew that it was out there, somewhere, and though it may have been impossible to find, it was still real. He didn't know that it would cost us our lives to enter it. _

"You mentioned something about…your death earlier… Did you really…?"

My question hangs in the air uneasily.

Yes, Leara. I died.

I stare at him incredulously. "But then how…?"

_It was partially because Kiba made it to Paradise, and partially because we believed in it. Because of both, we were resurrected in paradise, but as penitence, we lost our memories and the truth of what we really were. We each wandered in our own separate corners of Paradise, until Kiba caught scent of the lunar flower, and when he found it, growing amongst the alley of Paradise's city, we were sent back into the world with a mission. To reclaim the missing part of our destinies. _

I look at him quizzically, messaging my wounded arm. "What do you mean?"

Toboe shrugs his wolf shoulders. _That's all we were told. When I woke up here, my pack was gone, like my memories. But when I saw you, Leara, I remembered. I knew what I was, because of your story. And even before that, when I caught your scent before those thugs_, he snarls viciously, _begin to hit you, I knew that there was something special about you. I felt compelled to save you, and I still feel like I should stay around you. Leara, I think you're the key to helping me find the others and leading us back to Paradise._

"When you say others, you mean your pack?"

He nods. _Yes. I need your help finding Kiba, Tsume, Hige and Blue. And Cheza. Without her, we can't find the path back to paradise. _

I feel stupid, but I have to ask. "Um… you've never really explained about that Kiba and the others."

_Kiba is the alpha of my pack,_ Toboe says, scratching his ear thoughtfully,_ though he claims that there is none._ He barks shortly; a wolf equivalent of a chuckle. _But in the wolf world, there is always a leader. That was Kiba, the white wolf. He was the dog that the Nobles captured, the one that got away. Of course, Hige helped him. _

The name Hige makes Toboe stiffen slightly, the fur on the ridge of his back stands on end. He shakes it off, and continues, leaving me no time to puzzle over the mystery behind Hige.

_Then there was Tsume, the beta._

I feel silly, but I ask anyway. "Um… beta?"

Toboe sighs. _You may see my kind for what we really are, but you have no clue to our lifestyle, do you?_

"Well, there's really no way I can research about wolves, seeing as how they don't exist to the rest of the world." I say reasonably.

The brown wolf before me inclines his head. _That is true, I'll grant you. And so you know, a beta wolf is the second command, after the alpha. Then there's an omega, or the lowest wolf in the pack. I didn't realize it at the time, but _I _was the omega until I made my first kill. _

He sees my stricken look and adds quickly, _a giant walrus on the ice ocean. Wolves don't prey on humans unless they're threatened. _

My mind flashes to Dyue, dead underneath the great tree. I close my eyes, and his face fills my mind; his dull, unseeing eyes and the blood clotting in the gap where his throat should have been. I shiver involuntarily, and open my eyes to see Toboe, his head cocked to one side, staring at me quizzically. My first instinct is to laugh; he seems so much like a puppy! But then I see the blood around his muzzle, and the laughter dies in my throat. I want to trust Toboe, and I suppose I should. After all, he _did _save my life. There's just something that keeps me wary of him; innate instinct or maybe an unintentional one, I don't know which, but I feel uneasy.

I decide it's because of the blood. I edge closer to him, and say while doing so. "Don't be offended, but can I just do something really quickly?"

His ears swivel, like he's trying to hear beyond my seemingly random question. _Do what?_

I grab a wet wipe from the first aid kit. "The… blood on your muzzle…"

I can't finish my sentence and look at him at the same time, so I look to my cut instead. "Can I clean it? Please."

I glance his way to see his reaction.

His eyes soften in understanding and he steps forward. _Yes._

I reach out my hand and am surprised to see it trembling. I blame the trembles on the cut, since it was the arm that had been injured. I knew in my heart, though, that it was because I was finally doing something that I never thought I would.

I was going to touch a wolf.

Not just any wolf, but Toboe.

Before I could change my mind, I lay the wet wipe on Toboe's muzzle. I gently made circular motions on his fur, trying my best not to let my skin touch his. I pulled away the wet wipe, which was dyed a dark, dull red. Without thinking, I put it in my pocket.

_Better?_ Toboe asks. He sneezes suddenly, his nose wrinkling. _That makes my nose sting._

The action relieves the sudden tension that had begun when I'd asked to wipe away the blood of my would-be killer, and I smile weakly.

_You don't like seeing my real form._ He says. His tone is casual, but there's a deeper question underneath.

"I'm not used to it, is all." I say, convincingly enough. "Especially not _your_ form."

His eyes lock mine. _Why?_

Such a simple question, such a complicated answer.

"You're the first wolf I ever saw," I say with a sigh. I lean back against a crate so I can stay upright. Weariness hits me like a ton of bricks, and my eyes begin to flutter close. It's so sudden, it knocks the breathe out of me, and it's a minute before I can continue.

"Ever since I saw you… when you had your disguise up… I've always wondered what was wrong with me. It's weird to see that you do exist, and that I'm not crazy. For a while, I believed what everyone said about me. I guess it's a bittersweet relief, is all."

Toboe's ears flatten against his skull. _What do you mean, Leara? What did they say?_

He looks so sorry, so pitying. It boils my blood and I have to clench my teeth to keep from saying anything. He pitied _me_? Could I ever just earn respect?

"It's nothing," I mumble. "Just kid stuff."

My eyes travel to the grate that we'd used as an entrance, and I'm surprised to see the sky already beginning to lighten, announcing the arrival of the day and the end of a sleepless night. A yawn escapes me, and I get to my feet. I'm so exhausted; my legs can barely hold me up. Toboe also rises to his paws, and as he does so, his wolf form is replaced by his human projection. I can't help but stare at the unnatural beauty of him.

"Where are you going?" He asks, breaking my gawking. I blink, and quickly regain my composure.

"Back to my house. I only came here to give Katsuye the slip. I figure she's probably passed out somewhere by now, so its safe for me to go home and clean up. I look like a nightmare."

I gesture down at my shirt; bloodied and torn, my bruised skin visible. I'm sure my face doesn't look much better, and I desperately want to feel clean.

"Oh," Toboe mutters. He looks discontent and anxious. I suddenly understand what he wants and I sigh resignedly.

"You can come with me, Toboe."

Instantly, his expression is one of contentment. "I promise I won't jump on your furniture and shed my fur all over." He jokes. I crack a smile.

"Don't make a mess on the carpet, either."

His eyes dance. "I'll try not to."

&)&)&)&)&)&)&)&)&)&)&)&)&)&)&)&)&)&

We get to my house quickly enough, considering my weakened condition and Toboe's distractions. It's like he's slowly regaining that puppyish side of him; he runs after birds and he follows me constantly. I also see signs of growth, though; the way he holds his head high, the way he carries himself in that cocky, self-assured manner. After the fourth time he chases a cat, I have to say something.

"Can't you control yourself?" I ask it without meanness in my voice, but the lack of sleep lends an edge to my tone.

He ignores me, and continues to eye the birds. "I died when I was just beginning to grow out of puppy-hood, Leara," He says without emotion. "I didn't get a chance to do what a normal cub does. Just let me enjoy this."

I sigh, but I do understand. There wasn't a lot of stuff that I could have done in my childhood, either.

We turn the corner and my house comes into view. Toboe stiffens, his eyes narrowing and his body trembling.

"What is it?" I ask. "What do you smell?"

Toboe pauses a moment, and sniffs the air. A look of anger and disbelief crosses his face, before it settles into a hard mask of fury.

"Blood. Lots of it." He snarls. "Coming from your house."

I can't hear any more, because I'm off running like a shot, ignoring the pain that each step causes my ribs. I yank open the front door, Toboe right behind me. I race into the kitchen, yelling, "Daddy?! Daddy, where are you?!"

"…Leara…"

A faint voice comes from the master bedroom, and I launch myself there. The door, which is never normally closed, is shut tightly. I try to open the door, but it's been locked from the inside.

"Daddy!" I furiously yank the door, desperately tying to unhinge it. Then the brown wolf is there, chewing a hole in the wood, clawing viciously.

"Toboe, please hurry!" I plea. My words cause him to claw faster. Once the wood is weakened enough he launches himself at it, breaking the door down. I run heedlessly into the room. What meets me is a horrific scene.

My father is bound to a chair, bloodied beyond almost all recognition. His eyes are two swollen masses of black and blue, and blood leaks from his nose and mouth. Standing beside him, a gun in hand is my nightmare, her posse surrounding me. A trap.

Katsuye leers at me while holding the gun to my father's temple.

"Let him go." My words are pleas. "Please, Katsuye. He didn't do anything to you."

"Just like Dyue didn't do anything to you, either, you whore." She spits. There's a fire in her eyes that will burn me any way she can.

"You killed Dyue. Why shouldn't I kill your father?"

A mass of snarling fur jumps before me. Toboe. His eyes are as furious as Katsuye's, but narrowed with a single-minded purpose. To protect me.

"What is this, Leara?" Katsuye growls. "Your _dog_?" Her cronies, all ten of them, laugh scathingly.

_I am no dog, wench,_ Toboe snarls.

Katsuye's eyes widen.

_I am a wolf. And you are going to pay for hurting Leara._

In the blink of an eye, Toboe has two men down, and is attacking the third. His vicious in his movements, ferocious in a way that is wild and untamable, attacking the way that his kind has since the beginning of nature itself. He launches himself at the third masked assailant, his bloody teeth bared, and effortlessly rips out his throat.

The other men yell and some begin to flee, unprepared for a wild, talking dog.

Katsuye turns her attention from Toboe, and I see that she's made a decision in her cold, calculating mind. Without thinking, I'm at Katsuye's side, wrestling the gun away from her, aiming it toward anything but my father. I have to give it to the girl; she plays dirty. She yanks my hair with one hand and stomps on my feet with hers, but I hold on, unyielding. My grip loosens when she tries to gouge my eyes. My exhaustion is weakening me beyond usual, and my trembling hands let go of the gun only for a moment. It only takes a moment, and then she's won.

The sound of the gunshot is deafening.

My scream is even worse.

Katsuye holds the smoking gun in her hands, eyeing my father's corpse coldly before turning the gun to me.

"Don't be too upset, Lunar Leara," She coos in a singsong voice. "You'll be meeting with Daddy very, very soon."

I lock my eyes with hers, and I see the same madness that had entered her last night, when she tried to kill me with Dyue. There's something definitely, incurably wrong with her.

"It didn't have to be this way, you know, Leara," She says, aiming the gun at my heart. "If only you hadn't reawaken the wolves, then you would have lived your life as the crazy girl."

"I thought you didn't believe in wolves, Katsuye."

"Oh, I know that they exist, Leara. My cousin's kin killed them off those six years ago by sending them to Paradise," She stares me in the eye. "But because of you, they've come back."

"What are you talking about?" My heart is in my throat. How could I have brought the wolves back?

My age mate shakes her head, and laughs. "Doesn't matter now. You're dead."

A surprised look enters her eyes as she falls forward, gun dropping to the ground before she does. Toboe stands on her back, her neck in his jaws.

I collapse to the ground, staring at the carnage around me. Toboe had taken care of nearly all of Katsuye's men, and their blood was everywhere around my already dirty house. But that doesn't matter to me. I crawl through all the carnage to my father's side. The gunshot to his heart is still bleeding, though I know he's not there anymore.

'_He didn't deserve this,'_ I think to myself, cradling his head in my lap. '_It wasn't his fault.'_

I cry then, great heaving sobs that leave me breathless and gasping. My father had his faults, but he was still my Daddy. His life shouldn't have ended like this.

"Oh, Leara.." I feel Toboe's hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me. I think about shrugging it off, but I find that the weight is comforting.

"Leara, I'm sorry, but we have to go. I hear the Noble's men coming already."

I shake my head. "I can't leave him, Toboe."

"Leara, you have to. If they catch you, they'll charge you with murder."

I look at him numbly. "Maybe they'll finish me off too."

He grabs my shoulders roughly and shakes me slightly. "Your father wouldn't have wanted to hear that come out of your mouth," he snarls. "Come on Leara. You have to leave, now."

"Where can I go? No one will take me in."

"Come with me. Come with me to find Paradise, and my pack."

I look at my father's cooling body. My last tie to this city is gone, killed by the scum who live here. To stay means certain death, but to go with Toboe gives me a chance at a new life. I think of my mother, my father, and I realize that they would want me to go.

"Alright. I'll go with you."

And with those simple words, I stand, and leave behind the house that I'd grown up in and escape the city with the brown wolf that caused my problems in the first place.

* * *

**A/N: There you have it, Chapter 3! Sorry it took me a little longer than usual, but I've had a busy schedule. It might take a bit longer for the next chapter as well, but I'll try my hardest to get it out within a week or so. **

**Anyway, critiques are always welcome, as well as any advice!  
REMEMBER:  
REVIEWS LOVE.**

**Later!  
-Madison**


	5. Wilderness

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

I figure out very quickly that trying to escape a city is not as easy as it may seem. Especially during the day, at sunrise, when people are just beginning to wake up. Oh, and when you have a guy running besides you that moves with unnatural speed and growls at anyone that gets near you. 

Luckily, it was early enough that most people were still passed out from their late night. The gate is old and primitive; it doesn't have an eye-scan lock, as many modern doors do, but a deadbolt, which gives us a good lesson; technology is never underrated. Toboe yanks the deadbolt off with a flick of his wrist, and pushes the gate open. What meets my eyes is astounding: a vast, snowy landscape that is riddled with dead trees and rocks. The rising sun casts an orange tinge to the pure snow, making it sparkle in the weak sunlight.

"You know, I've never been out of the city before." I say. It's a bittersweet feeling, this escape. I turn to look at Toboe, who's staring at me with a strange look in his eyes.

"Well, there's a first time for everything."

I give a tight smile. "Guess so."

I turn back to the sunrise snow and I start to run into the welcoming arms of the wilderness.  
;x;x;x;x;x;x;x

"Leara, you can't keep going on like this." Toboe's voice interrupts my intense concentration and I scowl. We've been running for hours; it's way past noon. The snowfall, which I first thought so enchanting, has quickly become my enemy. Being the genius that I am, I had forgotten to bring any sort of provisions when we had made our desperate escape from the city of bloodshed, including warm clothes. My body had become numb to the cold, my feet used to the moderate pace that Toboe had set. But now, with the day quickly ending and the dark coming, the cold was becoming more intense.

I feel a shiver coming on and suppress it. I can't hold Toboe back or show myself as a liability. If I give in at the beginning of the journey, there's surely no way I can make it to the end.

I shake my head stubbornly. "I'm the only one that says what I can or can't do," I argue. "Besides, it's not even that cold." I feel myself straighten up at my words, as if to prove that I'm perfectly fine.

So, of course, I end my sentence with a sneeze.

Toboe's frown deepens. "Look, you don't have to act like the cold isn't bothering you. I'm freezing, and I have a fur coat. You're only human."

But that's the point! Can't he understand that I don't want to be _just a human?_ I trudge onward silently, deciding that his unintentional insult doesn't deserve a reply.

Toboe bounds ahead of me and stands in my path. His amber eyes lock mine. "Leara, don't be stubborn. Let's find a place to settle down for the night."

I clench my jaw, and step around him. "I'm fine, Toboe! Let's just get to… where ever we're going."

I hear his sigh behind me, and his paw steps as he easily reaches my side. "We're heading to a city." He says. "A city that has a hidden road to Paradise. My pack didn't reach it until a week after we left your city. That was by running the whole time, too."

That wasn't subtle at all.

"I get it," I growl. "I'll go faster, okay?"

Toboe looks stricken. "No, that's not what I meant at all!"

I continue my determined march, trying to ignore his words. "What did you mean then?"

"I only meant that even a wolf can't keep up our current pace in this is type of cold." He says it gently, as if talking to a child. "Leara, please. Just slow down a bit, okay?"

I sigh and come to a stop. "Just for tonight, then." I agree and hasten to add, "But tomorrow, after I've had some sleep, I'm going to give it my all."

He nods, but the dismissal in his eyes promises yet another argument over my feeble human qualities.

"Follow me then. I know where there's a cave."

He sets off slowly so I can keep up, his human projection fading to reveal the wolf beneath. His fur is whipping in the quickly strengthening wind, his movements almost feline and naturally graceful. He doesn't even seem to be bothered by the cold.

We continue on this way for a while, while the sun is swiftly setting. The stars begin to shine through the half-dark sky, promising a clear night. As I walk aimlessly, my mind wanders back to my father.

Daddy. I can't believe that I just left him, lying there amongst the scumbags. My heart aches, and I involuntarily place a hand over it, as if that would staunch the pain. I'm more in shock than anything else. It's strange that my father is no more; that I'll never see him smile, never hear his voice. It's eerie and makes me realize the fragility of life. More specifically, the fragility of humankind.

_Maybe its best that wolves run Paradise,_ I think to myself. _If humans were in charge, I don't know if it'd still be Paradise._

My musings are cut short when I run into Toboe, who has stopped at the mouth of a cave. In the twilight, it looks like a great beast about to swallow us up. I eye it skeptically.

"Are you sure there's no, like, bears in there?" I ask. I'm surprised to hear my voice crack, like a teenage boy's. I run my tongue over my dry lips and taste the metallic tang of blood.

"The bear scent is old." Toboe says, his human form returning. "It's just the right spot for us to stay."

"So there _was_ a bear here?"

"That's not the point."

"You first then. I'd prefer not to be clawed."

Toboe rolls his eyes playfully and vanishes into the maw of the cave. His voice echoes back to me strangely.

"No bear," his echo calls. "Now get inside. It's a bit warmer."

I hesitantly obey and step into the cave. It is slightly warmer, but not by much. Even to my human nose, it faintly smells like musk and something feral. The half-light of the dying sun is not nearly enough for me to see by, though I can make out a small skeleton of something near the entrance of the cave.

"Extremely homely, isn't it?" I mutter.

Toboe's chuckle is next to my ear, and I start in surprise. "Reminds me of my early cub-hood," He smiles. His joking manner is infectious, and I find my own mouth twisting into a grin.

"Raised by wolves?" I ask teasingly.

His smile falters for a minute. "Almost."

He clears his throat, and gestures toward the inner most part of the cave, the part I can't see.  
"Stay in there, and I'll go get us something to eat."

I scowl nervously. "There's no more skeletons, right?"

Toboe laughs. "No."

He's gone in the blink of an eye, and I'm left standing in the dark. I slowly make my way toward the back of the cave, stepping lightly, hoping not to hear the crunch of bones underfoot.

I find a raised patch of ground near the middle of the cave and settle down on the ground. My bruised body protests as I lay down on the hard ground, but I quell the pain. I close my eyes. No use trying to see in the dark.

My heartbeat thrums in my ears, loud as a clap of midsummer thunder. I feel tension coiling in my muscles, my body stiff and sore. There is silence except for the hissing of the wind outside. It's unnerving.

I stay that way for a few more minutes, until Toboe's paw steps rouses me our of my half-sleep.

"Leara?" His voice is very close.

"Toboe, I'm right here." My voice is hoarse.

Almost instantly, he's at my side. I feel the soft brush of fur; hear his claws clicking on the rocks of the cave floor. Something makes a thudding sound at my feet as he drops something.

"I managed to find some meat," He says. "I also brought you some wood, so you could make a fire."

I snort. What is this, the stone age? I no more know how to make a fire than Toboe knows how to tap dance.

"You can at least try. I don't think you'd like to eat your food raw."

My stomach growls in agreement, and I struggle to a sitting position. I feel around blindly for the wood that Toboe spoke of, and instead my hands grab something soft and squishy and drenched in blood.

Toboe puts his hand on mine, and guides me to the wood. _How does his hand feel so real?_ The thought enters my mind randomly, and I shrug it aside. Now's not the time for questions.

After about forty times, I manage to get a flame lit. Remembering something that I'd read in an ancient survival book, I made a type of pit ringed by good-sized rocks, so that the fire wouldn't spread in the middle of the night. Soon, the cave was comfortably warm.

Cooking my venison wasn't hard, luckily, and I was soon content. Toboe and I gaze into the fire, both entranced by the flickering flames.

"What did you mean, almost raised by wolves?" The question spurts from my lips without thought.

Toboe looks up at me, and runs a hand through his hair. "An old woman adopted me when I was just a pup," He says. "She said I had been abandoned. I think orphaned would be more like it. I lived with her, until she…"

He trails off, and I know how the story ends.

"I'm sorry." The condolence is for a loss that happened years ago, but I feel like I should say it all the same.

His eyes darken for a moment, but he shrugs it off with a weak smile. "It was hard at first, especially when living in the city as a pup. That's why I came to you that day, you know."

The mention of that day, years ago, makes me stiffen involuntarily. I swallow the sudden emotions that had risen in my throat.

Toboe notices my discomfort. "Leara, what happened to you after I left? Did I really affect you that much?"

I sigh. "After you left," I begin slowly. "I could see through your kind's human disguises. It was almost like you had lifted a veil behind my eyes; like I hadn't seen anything for what it really was until you came along." I frown in remembrance. "But then again, I had always been a bit… imaginative. Maybe it was your song."

He looks at me quizzically. "My song?"

I blush. "This is going to sound weird, but after you killed my bird—" He winces at that. "— And when you started howling, it was like I could _understand _you. It was like I could _hear_ exactly what you were saying in your song, that I could feel your regret."

I look away from the fire, afraid to meet his gaze. It didn't make sense to me, even after all these years, but I feel that I should tell him.

Toboe's quiet for a moment. Then he says, "It's getting late. You should get some rest. I'll keep watch for the night."

Suddenly ashamed of my admission, I lie down and turn away from the fire. I feel its warmth on my back, though my chest is already cold. But maybe that's just my heart.  
;x;x;x;x;x;x;x;

Toboe watches Leara as she tries to fake sleep, though to no avail. He can see the tension in her muscles, the taunt way she lies on the hardened earth. He gazes at her with something of admiration, curiosity and neutrality.

_She's proven to be a fighter_, Toboe thinks. _But she can't keep up with me. There's no way. Maybe I was wrong about taking her to Paradise. _

He studies her still figure: her tall, slender body is covered in cuts, bruises and blood cakes her tan skin. Jet-black hair curls softly down her back and stopping at her curvy hips. Her white t-shirt is splattered in all kinds of filth, and her black cargos are practically drenched from the snow. She rolls over—finally, she's asleep--- and Toboe sees her delicate face. The face of the little girl he met years ago has whittled away to reveal a beautiful young woman. Her face is thin, accentuating her sharp well-defined cheekbones and straight nose. Her eyelashes are long, even for a girl's, and her full lips are parted invitingly in sleep.

Toboe growls at himself for even thinking of leaving her behind. _No, I do need her. She is connected to Paradise somehow, I know it._ Her eyes open for a brief moment, and Toboe is met by their deep color before they close again.

He knows why he's so unnerved by her, but he won't admit it to himself. To admit it would be stupid. Nothing could happen anyhow.

He ponders over her words about the howl from years ago. _How could she understand wolf-speak? _He wonders, staring into the dying flame. _She couldn't have. Only my kind can connect with our howls. Humans…well, they're humans._

A sudden gust of wind enters the cave and guts the fire, enveloping the cave in darkness. Toboe blinks, allowing his eyes to adjust to the sudden dark, and his night vision takes over.

He watches as Leara's chest rises and falls in the pattern of her breathing, but he notices something strange about it. It's shallow and quick; almost as if she can't get enough air. He stands, shedding his human skin and staying in his true form. He crawls softly over to Leara and touches her arm with his nose, as soft as a butterfly's wing.

_She's so cold._ He whimpers quietly to himself. Without thinking, he curls up to the girl, remembering a time when he had done the same to a human man. Leara shivers in her sleep and wraps her arms around Toboe, startling him for a moment. He relaxes and nuzzles into her side. The parallels to that time with the hunter Quent and Leara are similar, yet drastically different. Both times, he felt the need to protect the humans out of obligation and out of the cry of his heart. The main difference was, Toboe never wanted to get out of Leara's arms again.

* * *

**A/N:** So, that was fun! I'm pretty excited that this story has been getting some good reviews, as well as some ones that point things out to me that I would have otherwise never seen! Oh, and since the general consesus has been pointing out a certain flaw..  
I promise to try to get Toboe more into his character, but as he is older, I am going to take some creative liscense with him. But I will try my hardest to incorporate his original personality back in there!  
Thanks to the following people!:

1)Black Thanos: Normally, I wouldn't push the story along as fast as I have been. I just needed to get Leara out of the city quickly. It should become moderately paced for a few chapters now. As to the Katsuye thing, there's more behind THAT situation...but that will come in later chapters. :

2)stardog252: I'd like to think my stories are thought out, even though I write them one chapter at at time. xD. LOL, thanks for your review!

3)Lonely In the Rain: Why, thank you very much!

4)Chanou: That's so cool that you used to speak French! I only know how to speak Spanish...or, I try to anyway. xD. Thanks for the review!

Thanks to Danny Barefoot, sofyh and Pinku Sakura and WargishBoromirFan!

And as always, any other helpful comments are welcome!!  
Till next chapter!  
-Madison


	6. Pups

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**Chapter 5**

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_I'm in a cave, but not the one I'd fallen asleep in moments before. This cave is smaller, warmer; a familiar and welcoming smell lingers in the air, like the promise of safety and security. Something warm and fuzzy is at my side, but I can't see what. I'm too weak to move my body, and I whimper at the pain of it. Instantly, there's someone there, providing me with the warmth of his or her body. A soft tongue licks my face, and I hear someone say faintly, "She's sick. What can we do?"  
It's so hot, I feel like I'm on fire. Again, I whimper, so uneasy in my surroundings. I want my mother! I think to myself. I want to cry, but I can't even muster up enough strength to do that simple task._

"_Stay strong, girl!" A voice whispers in my ear. I want to. Really, I do. But it would be so much easier to give in, for once. I sigh, and let myself fall in the dark water of my mind._

_------_

My eyes snap open and a gasp escapes my lips before I can stop it. My dream has me soaked in sweat, and my hair is matted down. I look around the dull light of the cave, momentarily disoriented. Everything comes back to me in a rush: my father's death and my escape. I start to try and sit up, before I recognize that there's a weight in my arms and across my entire body. I look down. Toboe's still sleeping form is nestled in my arms. His head is tucked underneath my chin, his jaw lying atop my neck. The rest of his body is snuggled against mine. Even his tail is draping over my legs. A rush of warm feelings hits me at this. He must have seen me shivering last night. Gratitude overcomes me as I watch his sleeping wolf form. He looks so young, like the pup I once knew. His silver bracelets clink together as he moves his legs in his sleep. A whimper escapes his throat, and he winces.

_Looks like I'm no the only one with bad dreams,_ I think to myself. I can't stand to watch him in this kind of discomfort, even in his sleep. Slowly, I reach forward and gently touch his shoulder. I pause for a moment, surprised at the sleek suppleness of his dirty-colored fur.

"Toboe?" I say softly. "Toboe, it's time we get going."

Toboe's eyes open instantly, and he struggles to get out of my arms. He replaces his wolf form with that of his human one in an attempt to make me more comfortable with having held him.

Boy, is he wrong.

The image of the bleary-eyed, half-asleep teenager sends a thrill through me. His hair is gently tussled, as if he's had a long night. His eyes are half-opened and they still manage to sparkle in the dim light. His shirt slips a bit, revealing a hint of a smooth chest.

Oh my.

Toboe looks at me with his groggy gaze. "Sorry, sorry. I'm moving."

_No, don't move! _I want to say. I restrain myself and grudgingly release my hold on him. He rolls away and stretches.

"Well, I'm ready to go." He says. He looks at me. "Let's head to paradise."

-----

"This is the city?" I ask.

It's a few days later, and to our surprise, we're at the Road City wall, as Toboe calls it. It's been a hard journey, especially with the snow and then the arid climate that came after we crossed the snow boundary.

Like that first night in the cave, it became mandatory for Toboe and I to curl up together, especially since there was no other caves after the first one. It wasn't for Toboe's sake, but for mine. I begrudged having to relay on him for my protection and for my meals, but I never regret our nights.

It had been strange at first, lying there with a human boy in my arms (Toboe thought that I was more comfortable falling asleep with a human, and I wasn't about to correct him). He soon made it a joke and called me his 'littermate'.

Toboe, who's standing to my right, nods. "It's exactly like I remember." He says. He sniffs the air and makes a face. "And it smells the exact same way, too. Like despair and wolves."

I stiffen at the last word. "Wolves?"

Toboe looks at me. "C'mon, Leara. You can't tell me that you're still afraid of wolves. You've been traveling with one for six days now."

"I'm not afraid!" I spit contemptuously. "Just surprised, is all. How many wolves are we talking about, anyway?"

Toboe shrugs. "Last time I was here, there was a pack. A pretty decent sized one, too."

I scowl. "Do you know this pack?"

"Well, I know their leader, Zali, and his mate, Cole." He frowns. "But I don't know if they're still the leaders or not. When we left, Zali was beaten by his own pack."

"And you were going to tell me this bit of information _when_ exactly?"

Toboe blinks when he senses the annoyance in my tone. "Um, soon?"

"Good answer."

Without waiting for Toboe, I push open the gate and stroll into the city. How can we trust one another if we keep information from each other? I want to ask him. It's probably not even worth the breath, but I'm strangely perturbed by his lack of communication. Aren't we…traveling companions?

If I'm going all this way with him to Paradise---which may not even EXIST in the first place--- I should at LEAST be informed when we're going to, say, I don't know, run into a pack of possibly territorial wolves?

I don't realize that I'm heading deeper into the heart of the city until I'm lost amidst the maze-like alleyways. I look behind me and my heart jumps.

Toboe is nowhere to be seen.

"Just peachy," I snarl, more in anger at myself. Stupid, stupid Leara!

A yelp from alleyway about five feet away startles me, and I instinctively jump against the wall to avoid being seen. Cautiously, I edge my way toward the sound, and as I get closer, I can clearly hear the voice of three males.

"Thieving whelps!" One male voice rumbles. "Stealing our hard-earned food, while you sit back and laze about."

A little girl's voice cuts in. "Shaz, we didn't know—"

Another yelp follows.

"Shut it, pup!" The second man snaps. "Haven't you realized something yet? We're your elders here, and you respect your pack elders!"

At the word _pack _my attention sharpens and I cautiously look around the corner. Three scraggly men surround two children, a boy and a girl. The girl is no more than six years old; her face isn't visible and her clothes are torn and unkempt. The boy, maybe six or seven, is looking at the circle of men, fear visible in his brown eyes.

I blink, and the images of the humans fade away to reveal the wolves' true forms. The three men are mangy, lanky wolves of the same dull brown hue. The two children---more accurately, pups--- are clearly brother and sister; they both have the same black and gray coat, though the male pup has a splash of white above his right eye. The pups are cut and bleeding, and it's clear what the origins are. The little female whimpers and licks the new cut above her shoulder.

The human façade returns, though the cut on the girl's shoulder remains the same.

"Quit your whining, Chanson!" The last male snarls. The boy looks up at his tormentors and bravely snarls in the defense of his sister.

"We didn't do anything wrong, so leave us alone!" He growls. His words are rewarded by a quick kick to the side, though in their true forms, the first male who spoke had given him a harsh gash to the side.

"You'd best be quiet, if you know what's good for you, Zari."

The injustice of the situation strikes me, and I'm suddenly remembering my own childhood. Without thinking, I pick up the nearest heavy object—in this case, a piece of broken pipe—and step into view.

"Why don't you boys pick on someone who can actually beat you?" I snarl. All of the wolves look up at me in surprise. The children's eyes widen at my appearance, and I can't blame them; I haven't had a bath in days, and I still have blood streaked on my shirt. I had hoped that my appearance might frighten the male wolves, though that was a mistake on my part. One male nudges the other, and then they meet the eye of the third. They step forward as one, confirming the pack mentality.

I swing the pipe in warning, and the males laugh.

"C'mon, honey, don't play like that." A heavily scarred brown male says. His voice is sleazy and makes my skin crawl.

"Yeah, we only like girls who play nice," The skinny male echoes.

I laugh, as I understand something. Just because I'm a girl, they think they can scare me off by insinuating that I wouldn't just get a few bruises. Of course, they had no interest in a human female, but if they could get me out of the way…

Sexist pigs.

"I don't play nice with wolves who pick on cubs." I snarl in reply. Instantly, their act is gone.

"How do you know?" The last male, a chunky one with chocolate colored fur, growls.

"No human would attack _children_," I spit. "Only wolves. Or, more accurately, _dogs._"

A collective growl rises from the males. I guess they decide not to waste their concentration on their human disguises, because they drop quickly.

_How do I get myself into these situations?_

"If you know what we are, you'll have to die," The skinny wolf snarls. "Otherwise you might go and tell the Hunters."

I'm momentarily confused. "Hunters?" I echo.

They ignore me, and begin to circle like a pack of, well, wolves. I slowly turn, trying to keep each one in my sight.

Suddenly, they leap as one. I drop to the ground as they go sailing over my head and barely avoid colliding with one another. The scarred male manages to adjust his midair course and comes crashing down on the girl-pup. He lowers his jaws toward her vulnerable neck, while her brother desperately charges the bigger male. My blood boils, and I throw the pipe in my hands at the brute's head. It connects with a sickening crack, and he yips in pain. The distraction gives the boy enough time to shove the grown male off his sister. They run toward the entrance of the alleyway, and consequently, the other two males.

I stand beside the pups as I try to calculate a way we can get out of this mess. A snarl behind me makes me turn to see the male I whacked in the head.

"Big mistake, _human_." He growls.

They prepare to leap---

And are stopped by two streaks of fur, two wolves. Toboe's growling is thunderous, while the pretty gray and white female---this wolf is distinctly feminine--- beside him is equally powerful.

Toboe quickly attacks the scarred male, the one who specifically threatened me, while the female turns her attention to the skinny male. The pups recognize her instantly.

"Mommy!" The girl cries.

The female wolf snarls viciously. There's no scarier thing than a wolf-mother whose pups have been hurt. She's gracefully lethal as she savages the skinny wolf's hide, and she's so totally consumed by the need for retribution that she doesn't notice the other male sneak up behind her. Quickly, I launch myself at the tubby male, and find myself sitting on his back, his ears in my grasp. He howls in pain and bucks violently, trying to get me off. I hold on tighter, and kick his sides for good measure. He whimpers pitifully, and I suspect that he's learned his lesson. I hop off his back, careful to stay away from his jaws and he races away, tail tucked between his legs.

I turn to find that the female has also gotten rid of her rival, and is now tending to her cubs.

Toboe has the scarred male by the scruff of his neck and his dragging him to the alley's entrance. Toboe deposits the male and snarls viciously. "Get going, scum."

The male needs no second warning, and is off like a shot. Toboe turns to me anxiously, donning his human face as he does so. "Are you alright, Leara?" He asks.

I nod. "Yeah."

"So this is Leara?" A female voice asks. I turn to find the gray and white female wolf in her human disguise. She's a pretty wolf, as well as a pretty woman. She in her mid-thirties, with dark hair and warm brown eyes. She wears a woolen cap and a trench coat. A battered scarf is wrapped around her neck, whipping in the breeze.

Toboe nods. "Yes, Cole. This is Leara."

Cole, the female reaches out a delicate hand. "You stopped those three morons from hurting my children further. I'm forever grateful to you."

I blush, but I don't argue and I reach out my own hand and shake hers. "They're kids…Erm, cubs. They don't deserve to be treated that way."

Cole's eyes darken. "If only the remainder of the pack felt that way." She sighs. Toboe sees my confused look.

"Cole was the alpha female of this pack, the one I told you that I had met." He says. "Zali, her mate, was the alpha."

"Zali was overthrown shortly after Toboe and his pack left this city," Cole explains. "He was killed by his beta, Moss. Moss took over for a time, but then he too, was killed by another named Di. The cycle continued, and now, our pack has no leader…" She turns to her cubs and gestures to the male.

"Except for the possibility of Zari. He is Zali's only male pup, and therefore has a right to the title of alpha, when the time should come. Because of that, the rest of this mangy pack picks on him. And when Zari is cornered, Chanson will try to help her brother."

Chanson, the pretty little female, comes forward, her wolf form still visible. She licks my hand without hesitation, and in return, I gently rub her muzzle.

"I caught wind of Cole's scent by the gate when you ran off," Toboe continues. "And when I finally found her, she was looking for Chanson and Zari. It just so happened that the pups' scents and yours were mixed together somehow."

Zari, the male, eyes me warily as his younger sister throws up her human form. She's the spitting image of her mother, with glossy brown hair and a baby like face, with its chubby cheeks and button nose. Her eyes meet mine, and I'm startled by their amazing shade of blue; as blue as the sky on a clear day, or the blue of a full moon night. She smiles at me.

"My name's Chanson." She says. Her voice has a pleasant singsong quality about it, as if she's going to start singing at any moment. "Thank you for helping me and Zari."

Zari's form flickers to his human one. He is not as delicate or as pretty as his sister, but there's a spark about him, an unfulfilled promise of a roguish good looks. His chin is slightly jutted, his lips thinner than Cole or Chanson's. His cheekbones are already cut for one so young, and I'm sure when he gets older, they will further sharpen. His nose is straight and longer than his mother's or sister's, and his eyes are a shade of deep brown flicked with gold. He runs a hand through his curly dirty blonde hair and otherwise ignores me.

I return my attention back to Chanson, who's studying me closely.

"I like you, who ever you are," She says, smiling. "You smell nice."

_Past all the gore, you mean?_ I silently say to myself.

"My name's Leara." I say instead. Chanson cocks her head to the side.

"That's a funny name!" She says.

Cole sighs. "Chanson, that's not very nice."

The girl shrugs in a careless manner that only children can pull off. "Well, it is!"

I grin at the girl. She's spunky.

"So what are you doing back in this city, Toboe?" Cole suddenly asks. "Traveling with a human, no less."

"Remember how last time I was here, my pack and I were searching for Paradise?" He recalls. Cole nods, frowning slightly.

"Yes. Zali showed you the road to Paradise. The one the others died on."

"Paradise is real." Toboe says softly, with an unarguable convection. Cole's eyes widen.

"We gave up too soon," She whispers, more to those in her past than anyone else. Chanson turns her attention away from me, back to her mother. She whimpers, an inhuman sound with her human mask.

"Mommy, that's the place that you said Daddy talked about," Chanson's eyes are huge at the mention of her father, though it's not one of loss or recognition. It's the gaze of a child who's desperate to hear about a place's mentioned in their dreams and their parents' unrealistic hopes for the young.

Cole brushes aside her daughter and instead locks her gaze with Toboe. "Come with me." Her gaze flickers to me. "Both of you. You can stay the night in my den, and we can get the human some supplies and clothes."

Her carelessly segregating words chafe me; it's a subtle reminder of how inadequate I am, how _human_.

Toboe meets my eye questioningly. I shrug. Truthfully, '_the human_' could use some rest. I give a discreet nod.

"We'd love to stay the night." Toboe and I answer in unison, and I grin

* * *

**A/N:** Yay, chapter 5! Hah, anyway, I decided that some original characters would be nice, so I created Chanson and Zari. Now, the pups' names are signficant, as well as the names of the other original characters I'll be introducing over the next few chapters hinthint.

Chanson's name is french for "song" (I used a translator, so it may be off...but I thought it was pretty). That will be explained in time.  
As for Zari...well, see, I've found that Zali's name has been spelled in two different ways; Zari and Zali. I figured that Zali was actually how it was pronounced in the anime, so I thought that his son should be Za_**r**_i. But I may be wrong.

Oh, and one last note: It may be a while till I'm able to update again. I'm working on Chapter 6 right now, and it's about half-way done, but I've got to go back and do some finishing touches later. My schedule the next couple of weeks is going to be hectic, but I'll try to update as soon as possible!

Later!  
Madison


	7. Mother's Love

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**Chapter 6**

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"Well, here's the den." Cole waves her arms in the air, gesturing vaguely to the shabby building we've just entered. The walls are cracked and dirty, while wires hang down from the ceiling like grasping cobwebs. The carpet was once a brown color, but has faded to an indescribable dull gray. A pile of blankets lay in a corner, shaped like a nest. There are few pieces of furniture---- after all, what wolf needs a chair? --- But there is a bed in the far right corner of the room. My body aches at the sight. Anything would be better than sleeping on the ground. A door to the left of the bed is slightly ajar, and I can faintly see the outline of what looks like a bathtub.

Cole hands me a bundle of clothing. "I see you're already eyeing the bathroom," She says. "Go get cleaned up. You smell awful, even for a human."

She grins as she says it, otherwise I would have said something smart-alecky. Plus, the promise of a nice, hot bath calls to me and my skin is crawling with the desperate need to get clean.

I practically run to the bathroom and begin to run the hot water before I even close the door. I strip my disgusting and gory clothes off quickly and put them into the chipped sink. It surprises me when I find a bottle of old shampoo and soap on the counter, as if it was waiting for me. Once the water is hot enough to boil something, I lower myself into it. A delicious burn engulfs me as I submerge and begin to scrub the grime off myself. Almost instantly, the water turns a muddy brown and rust red from the combined stains of dirt and blood. The heat feels amazingly cleansing on my skin, and I turn the heat up as if to scour away all the events of the past couple of weeks.

I stay in the tub for over an hour before I finally manage to drag myself out. I let the sauna-like temperature of the tiny bathroom dry my skin. Once dry, I change into the clothes that Cole had provided me; a pair of jeans, a bright red long sleeve shirt and a pair of winter boots. The jeans are a bit loose, but the shirt hugs my body like a second skin and is wonderfully warm; the inside is lined with another layer of fabric that acts as insulation. The boots are also warm, lined with some type of fur. Briefly, I wonder how Cole got such nice clothes, and then I decide it's sometimes better not to know. My damp hair curls in ringlets down my back, but I can't do anything about it, so I run my fingers through them in an attempt to keep them from tangling. I leave my old clothes in the bathroom sink so I can wash them later. Right now, I just want rest and food.

Quietly, I open the bathroom door. Voices greet me, echoing from the outside of the front doorway.

"…There's something strange about it," I recognize Cole's voice. "It smells like one of us, if extremely faint."

"I've noticed it, too," Toboe's speaking in a low, thoughtful tone.

_What are they talking about? _I wonder to myself. I stand quietly, trying to hear their conversation.

"Especially when she said she understood---"

"LEARA!"

Chanson's voice breaks the adults' conversation as she rushes to my side. Her eyes are bright and innocent.

"What are you doing standing there for?" She asks, overly curious. She cocks her head to the side and looks at me quizzically. "You know, you smell _a lot_ better now. Do you know what you smell like?" She doesn't wait for me to answer before she plows forward. "You smell like the snow and meat and raspberries. Not in a bad way, though. And you smell _a lot_ like Toboe, I guess because you've been traveling with him and all, but you smell _too _much like Toboe. Hey, is Toboe your mate? Mommy smells a lot like daddy, and she said it was because they were mates. Cause Mommy told me once that when a daddy wolf and a mommy wolf like each other a _whole, whole _lot, they---"

"Chanson!" Cole's standing in the doorway, hands on her hips, Toboe behind her. "What are you rambling on about?"

"Well, Mommy, I was telling Leara that she smells a lot like Toboe and I was asking her if it was because Toboe was her mate, 'cause remember how you told me that when a mommy and a daddy love each other—"

Cole holds up a hand and Chanson quiets instantly. Much to my relief. However, I can't contain the furious blush creeping up on my cheeks, nor can I stop myself from looking in Toboe's direction. It's a strange sort of reprieve to see that I'm not the only one blushing.

"Chanson, go play with your brother outside." Cole instructs. "Let me talk to Toboe and Leara for a while, and then we'll go hunting."

The little she-pup smiles and skips outside as a response. _Note to self: Don't tell a kid about the birds and the bees until they can actually comprehend what it means._

As soon as the pup is out of earshot, Cole and Toboe enter the tiny room. Cole sighs.

"While you were getting cleaned up, Toboe informed me of what's happened," She says. "And I've got to say, there's a lot that you need to be aware of, if you're going to continue on this journey."

I sit down on the bed, sensing this conversation was going to take a while. A dim memory pops into my head.

"Actually, before we go into all that," I say, "Can someone please explain who these Hunters are?"

Cole stiffens at the name. She says slowly, "The Hunters are a group of humans who hate wolves. They've only risen to power recently, over the past three years or so. The members claim that their leader studied under Lord Darcia."

At the name of the Noble, Toboe lets out a vicious snarl. His eyes betray the fear.

"_Darcia?_" he hisses. Cole nods.

"There's more, too," She continues. "It is rumored that the goal of the group is to eliminate all of our kind, and then take over Paradise."

"How?" Toboe laughs scornfully. "They can't open the gates. They don't have the Flower Maiden."

"They intend to find her at all costs."

Toboe's eyes narrow in astonishment. "They know that she's returned?"

"Yes. They also know about the return of the rest of your pack, and already they are searching for them. Especially the one called Kiba." Cole looks down. "The Hunters have found out that it is Kiba that the Book of the Moon refers to."

I feel the anger rising in my throat. Over the course of our wilderness journey, Toboe had filled me in on the events that happened to his pack when they first set out those years ago. From his storytelling, I felt that Kiba, Tsume, Blue and Hige and Cheza were _my family_ that they were _my friends_ too.

Toboe turns to me, anxiety plain on his face, seeking some type of comfort, however brief or trivial.

"We'll set out tomorrow to find them," I reassure him. His face relaxes, but only a little.

"Your ultimate goal is to find Kiba and Cheza above everything else," Cole cuts in, "But I think I know someone who can help you find Tsume."

Toboe looks at Cole with hopeful eagerness in his eyes. "Who?"

"His name's Broma." Cole replies, a smile playing about her face. "To me, he's a young wolf, but he's Toboe's age, I think. He has a nose for information. He may be a fast talker, but he will help you, I'm sure."

A howl erupts from the outside of the house, causing Toboe and Cole to cock their heads to one side. They listen intently, before Cole says.

"Speak of the devil."

The two pups tumble into the small building, not bothering with their human disguises, yipping playfully and wagging their tails. "Broma! Broma!" They call.

A scrawny wolf appears in the doorway, his golden eyes sparkling with amusement. I blink in surprise at the color of his coat; it's a dark red, the color of a sunset on an ocean. A splash of black fur licks his front right paw, and his tail is full and bushy. He's around Toboe's age---so, consequently, about mine----but he seems much older. I can't put my finger on it, exactly, but the way he carries himself conveys a sense of importance, like a king among his adoring subjects. It's not cockiness, nor arrogance, but a type of self-assurance that is rare to come by. My gaze blurs, and before me stands a teenage boy like none I've ever seen, yet is strangely familiar, like a long forgotten dream. He is slender in the hips but broader in the shoulders, giving a strangely masculine form. His arms, plainly visible due to his sleeveless shirt, are toned and muscle rolls gently underneath his skin when he moves. He stands in the doorway and looks at me curiously, while I stare back at his handsome face. His cheekbones are sharp and high, giving him a permanent five o'clock shadow, while his nose is slightly crooked and almost beaky. On any other face, his nose would have dominated his looks or overshadowed them, but on this boy, it leant a sort of disheveled good-look to his features. He flickers dark red hair—which is almost black--- out of his line of sight, and then turns his gaze to me.

His eyes, when they meet mine, are astounding. A shade of pale blue that borders on white meets my own dark-eyed gaze, and I feel like he's staring straight through me.

"Hey," The he-wolf says. His voice is raspy, but pleasantly so. The mere sound of his voice makes me quiver in a eccentrically erotic anticipation. I can't help but wonder, _if he had fingers__ instead of paws__, would they feel as delectably rough as his voice sounds, as they touch my skin?_

"Broma, these are the two I was telling you about," Cole says, breaking my train of inappropriate thoughts. "Toboe and Leara."

Broma acknowledges Toboe with a curt nod, his eyes never leaving mine. "So you're the famous Wolf-Speaker that I've heard so much about." He says in a quiet voice.

I start, surprise racing in my veins. "You've heard about me?"

Broma inclines his head. "All of the underground has heard of you; the human authorities have as well."

I stiffen instantly, and besides me, I feel Toboe tense. "The human authorities?"

"Word is, you murdered three people back in Freeze City." Broma says the horrible accusation with only a glint of curiosity in his tone, and no pity. "A girl, her boyfriend… and your father."

Shock races through my system, and I sway slightly before I regain my composure. "What? I never touched any of them!"

Broma shakes his head. "I overheard some of the Noble's men talking. They said that they found a wet wipe caked with the boy's blood on it at your house, next to your father's corpse, and that your blood was also on it."

I feel faint as I remember the wet wipe that I had used to clean Toboe's face with. It had been in my pocket when we went to my house.

I see the recognition flicker on Toboe's face, as well as a guilty expression. I knew him enough by now to assume that he was blaming himself for false accusation against me, because it had been _T__o__boe_ who killed Dyue and Katsuye. _Toboe_ was the one with the blood on his muzzle, not I.

"I didn't kill them," I say quietly.

Toboe nods in agreement. "_I_ tore their throats out. They were going to harm Leara."

Broma shrugs. "Doesn't matter who actually did the killing, it's all pinned on _her_ now. And I'm sure the Noble's men won't have time to listen to her side of the story." He says it as a fact, not as a taunt, but even so, I feel Toboe's body shake before the thunderous growl rips from his throat.

"Why do you think the Nobility would care about Leara's _supposed_ crime so much?" Toboe asks. "There is plenty of crime in the cities. Why focus on Leara?"

The red-wolf ignores the challenging growl in Toboe's words, and instead Broma's eyes spark in interest. He mutters to himself more than anyone else, "Why indeed?"

He shakes his head so slightly, I wonder if I was seeing things, before Broma clears his throat and continues along a different path.

"Unfortunately, I haven't just dropped by for all these pleasantries." He says. He turns to Cole with a grim expression on his face. "You have to hide the cubs. Shaz has gathered a rogue pack together, and he's coming tonight to get them."

Cole's face becomes a mask of maternal fear and fierce anger. "When?" Is all she asks, but I can already see the calculating mind of the she-wolf plotting her pups' escape route.

"An hour, at dusk," Broma runs a hand through his hair. "And it's not just the pups they want. It's the Wolf-Speaker as well."

Cole and Toboe trade glances, and Toboe's eyes flash angrily. "Just let them try," He growls. "Cole and I can protect Leara and the cubs. If we just keep them in the bathroom and guard the door---"

Broma interrupts with a snort. "Have you been around humans too long?" He laughs humorlessly. "Shaz may act like a dog, but he has a wolf's pride. He's going to do whatever it takes to get your little human in his jaws."

"Excuse me, but this '_little human_' isn't anyone's property," I interject. "And secondly, I can fight---" Toboe and Broma both look skeptical, and Broma voices his doubt.

"Not against a pack of wolves. You'll be torn to shreds."

I ignore the obvious truth and continue. "But I'm more concerned about the cubs' safety. There's got to be a place we can hide them."

Chanson looks up fearfully at her mother, while Zari eyes Broma hopefully. The male pup's gaze is one I recognize with a pang; he sees Broma as the leader, the alpha, and his father.

Cole's forehead creases in intense thought. "They can track us anywhere in the city because of our scent trail. There is nowhere that the pack hasn't found and savaged off of…"

An idea strikes me. Without considering my words, I blurt out, "What if we take the pups to the tunnel pathway? Didn't you say that a lot of the pack died in the tunnel because of gas? Surely the pack wouldn't follow us there out of fear…"

Broma eyes me in cool scrutiny. "Not a bad idea, girl."

I take it as a compliment.

"It's true, the pack hasn't been around the tunnels in years," Cole concedes. "Not since Zali died. The superstitious fools."

Chanson goes to her mother's side and takes her hand. "You're going to come too, right, Mommy?"

Cole's expression is pained. "No, sweetheart. I'm going to make sure that you and Zari aren't followed."

She turns her gaze from her beloved pups to the three adults in the room. "I'm going to lead the pack on a false trail, while Toboe and Leara take you away from here." She pauses and then takes a breath, "To Paradise."

"Of course," I agree without hesitation. I blame it partly on my awakening motherly instincts, and the rest of it on my newfound respect for Cole. To give up your only children, to send them off to a better life while you stayed behind, was something that only true love could produce.

"Mommy…" Chanson whines quietly. "Is Paradise very far? Will we get lost?"

Cole strokes her daughter's illusionary hair, while her true form gently gives the pup a lick on the muzzle. "No, darling. Toboe knows the way."

Zari stands by his sister. "I'll take care of Chanson, Mother." He says, speaking for the first time that night. "I won't leave her side."

I'm struck by the mature promise in his words, surprised that it issues from such a young one's lips. Maybe it's a wolf thing, but I realize just how mature the alpha's heir is.

"Cole, this is madness," Broma interrupts. "You can't just send Zali's heir off with some stray and a human girl, to a place that doesn't exist! We can just hide the children in the tunnels until the pack gets tired of searching for them."

Cole's gaze meets Broma's, and a silent communication passes between them. "That is why they are leaving this wretched place," The she-wolf says softly. "They will never stop hunting Zali's pups, never cease in their power struggle. It won't be long before I'm caught off guard, and my pups are taken away to a place that is more inaccessible to me than Paradise. Then what will I do? Pine for them all my days? No, Broma, this city is not the place to raise cubs. It will only sow hate and fear in them. My heart tells me to put them on the path to Paradise, no matter how painful it will be for me to see them go. But if they stay here, they will never get a chance to truly live. At least in Paradise, they will always stay safe."

Cole's speech touches my heart, and I feel tears coming to my eyes. _Would my mother have done the same thing for me?_ I can't help but wonder. _Or is it because a wolf's instinct is to survive?_

"We will take the pups, Cole," Toboe says quietly. "I swear that I will protect them."

"_We_ swear it," I add.

Cole nods. "It is all I can ask of you. Now, go. Dusk is coming, and so is Shaz."  
;;;;

The pups' goodbye to their mother is a brief but touching affair, and Broma, Toboe and I leave the small, broken family to their privacy and stand at the mouth of the great tunnel. The graves of those long passed on strangely comforts me. Their journey may have ended, but mine was just beginning.

"She must really believe in you," Broma says suddenly. "To let you take her pups. But I wonder if you're leading them to folly or fortune?"

I open my mouth to respond, but Toboe cuts me off. "The pups will make it to Paradise, just as I did six years ago."

Broma studies Toboe's face, but says nothing, his expression a cool mask of blandness.

Quiet paw-steps reach my ears, and I turn to see a teary-eyed Chanson and stone-faced Zari. "Mommy said to tell you that the pack is coming," Chanson says. "And to say may the moon bless you both."

Without thinking, I slip Chanson's hand through mine, only to have my fingers brush soft fur of her back. _Human comfort can't help a wolf,_ I think.

A howl pierces the oncoming night, and I stiffen instinctively. The melody is not one of the serene wolf, but one of pain, more of a yelp than a howl. The voice is soft and feminine, and sounds frighteningly familiar. Its meaning becomes clear as it begins to fade.

It is a howl of loss, of sorrow, of a final goodbye. It is a mother's farewell and warning to her children. And as the last note is stolen away by the frozen wind, I understand what it is really saying.

_We will meet again, in paradise…_

Chanson begins to cry, and Zari's mask of indifference melts away as their mother's final cry echoes in the night sky.

"C'mon, we have to go!" Broma suddenly growls. His eyes are on the edge of the city, where the path begins to the cemetery. I can faintly see the outline of a large pack of wolves, coming towards us quickly.

I pick up Chanson, who's stricken by grief, and Toboe grabs Zari by the scruff of his neck, his wolf form visible. We race into the tunnel, and don't stop until I'm gasping for breathe.

Toboe drops Zari carefully on the sewer floor, and turns to me, his great muzzle sorrowful. He pads to my side and nuzzles my hand, and I carefully set Chanson down. She quickly scampers off to her brother's side.

"Are you okay?" He asks me quietly.

I nod as my breathing stabilizes. "I'm fine. We need to look to the pups."

"I can do that," Broma comes up silently behind me. I'm envious as I see he's not even winded. "We've lost the pack for now… and I've known them since they were born. I can comfort them and prepare them for our journey."

I raise my eyebrows. "_Our_ journey?"

Broma shrugs. "I'm not sold on this whole paradise scheme, but the pups need some type of familiarity. Besides, I think that you, Wolf-Speaker, might be interesting to be around."

Without another word, Broma walks to the pups and attends them.

"Did we just gain another pack mate?" Toboe asks.

I sigh. I suppose we had.

* * *

**A/N** Hey yall, sorry it took me forever to post this chapter! Usually I update faster than this, but I've been sick and I've had to go to SO many school related activities.. Anyway, I hope this doesn't feel too rushed---but then again, I feel like it's progressing almost too slow. AH, the conflict!

Anyhow, I will try to update again as soon as possible, but I'm going out of town without access to a computer for the weekend, and then I have 6-weeks testing, but I will try my hardest!

As always, any comments are appreciated!

-Madison


	8. Legends

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Chapter 7

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_I'm sick of tunnels._ I think as yet another rat runs across my path. My dysfunctional pack and I had been traveling through the tunnel for about a day or two; it was difficult to tell exactly how long with the lack of natural lighting. The Tunnel Path, as I call it, is a dark, foreboding place that reeks of death and despair. My eyes hadn't yet adjusted to the daily gloom of man-made concrete dungeons, and my nose was now immune to the stench of the sewer, and I feel as if the walls were closing in around me. I'm nothing more than a beast trapped in a cage of darkness and despair.

But if I was suffering, than the wolves were ten times worse off. I glance over at the pups, walking behind me. Their eyes and ears are drooping, and their coats seem less glossy, which is surprising, considering the short span we've spent here in the tunnels. Their grief for Cole hasn't dulled. Zari's steps are heavy, slow; as if he had weights tied around his paws. Chanson is doing better than her brother. The glow has returned to her eyes, and her steps aren't as heavy as her brother's.

"Are we there yet?" Chanson asks, breaking my evaluation. I glance at Toboe, who's currently leading the pack, hoping he'll give me an indication. However, it's Broma who answers.

"I smell fresh air ahead," He soothes the pup. "We should get to the exit by nightfall."

Chanson cocks her head quizzically. "I thought it _was_ nightfall already! How can you tell?"

Toboe looks back and smiles half-heartedly. "We're wolves, Chanson. You just have to stretch your senses out. Take a deep breathe; does the air smell like night scents? Close your eyes and let your mind reach out to the sky. Can you feel the presence of the Moon?"

Chanson listens to Toboe, and closes her eyes briefly. A smile erupts on her features. "Oh, wow! I _do_ feel it… Well, sort of. It feels like it's far away. But it's still there."

"That's because night hasn't set yet." Toboe explains.

I listen in astonishment to the conversation, awed by a wolf's power. How was it that they could sense such things, but I couldn't? Envy rises in my chest, a sharp-fanged thing that bites my heart. The envy gives way to self-pity. What use was I—a human—to the wolves? I, who had no special, primal survival instincts, I, who could only speak to wolves? The sharp injustice of it stings.

Chanson must have noticed my internal battle, because I find she's nuzzling my side. "Leara, don't be sad," She says. "'Cause when you're sad, that makes me sad, too."

My heart swells at the she-pup's sweet innocence, and I gently rub her ears. "I'm not sad, Chanson," I lie effortlessly. "I'm just ready to get out of this tunnel, is all."

Zari eyes me coldly. "It's not that bad," He mumbles in a tone that suggests otherwise. "If you're a wolf."

The stark truth makes me cringe for a moment, and I decide to ignore Zari's jibe. _He's a pup who just lost his mother, and his home_, my conscience tells me. _Leave him alone._

Sweet Chanson intercedes on my behalf. "Leara's a human, and she's doing just fine, Zari!" She says indignantly, as if her own pride had been insulted. "It's not nice to say things like that. Mommy…" The pup falters for a moment, before lifting her eyes to meet her brother's and continuing, "Mommy wouldn't like you being mean to Leara."

Zari snorts. "Mother wouldn't like it that a human is taking over as alpha female!"

I suppress the urge to snap back, and instead, I smooth Chanson's fur down. Toboe looks at Zari and lifts his lips in a hint of a snarl. "Don't talk to your pack elder like that," He chides. "Leara is part of our—_your_—pack. You're old enough to know pack laws."

At the older wolf's chastising, Zari turns appealingly to Broma. "But isn't it in the law that a human can't be apart of a pack? Right, Broma?"

The cunning, conniving little whelp. I can see his plans already; he's going to turn Broma and Toboe on each other, since they're the two eldest males.

Broma eyes Zari coolly. "You'll learn that there are exceptions to every rule, Zari. Leara is apart of the pack, and you will accept it."

Zari's cunning grin dissolves, and he tucks his tail between his legs, put out by his "alpha's" decision. He flashes me an angry glare, before he races ahead of me, and past the two males. Chanson licks my hand reassuringly.

"Zari's just being mean cause Mommy's gone," She says. "He doesn't like to show it, but he's sad. As sad as I am." She looks up at me with her stunning eyes. "But I'm not going to be sad anymore, because you're here, Leara."

Would it be too cliché for me to say, '_Aww'_?

Instead, I lean down and give Chanson a quick kiss on the head. "Thank you, sweetie."

When I straighten, I see that both Toboe and Broma have been watching me. Broma's expression is unreadable, but I detect a hint of approval in the light of his eyes. Toboe, however, is gazing at me with… anticipation? I can't really say which emotion, but it makes a blush creep up onto my cheeks.

"You boys see something you like?" I challenge, trying to divert their attention. Toboe's ears lay flat against his skull in embarrassment, but Broma's eyes lock mine, and I see a whisper of an answer there that makes me shiver.

_Perhaps._

Broma's instincts were correct. We exited the tunnel at dusk, when the stars were just beginning to light up and the solemnly beautiful moon was showing her face to the earth. Beside me, Chanson yips happily and races out onto the clear plain that we've come to, Zari on her heels. Broma snorts and trots forward as well, and I can tell he's as relieved as the rest of us to get out of the dark tunnels.

I turn my attention to the landscape surrounding us. The air tastes of dust and slight acidity, and the ground is dry and parched. A few tumbleweeds dot the earth, as well as a few scrub brushes, and on the horizon is a slight hump of the earth. Mountains.

It surprises me that there's no snow here; instead, the land is made up of scrubby plants and dust. The complete opposite of my home, Freeze City.

"Where are we?" I have to ask. The difference between the outskirts of Freeze City and this place makes me curious. Is all the world like this? Such diversity frightens me and encourages me that I may yet have a place in this world.

I look behind me, to Toboe for answers, but I find that his eyes are strangely distant, almost glassy. He seems to be looking at something, for his eyes dart this way and that, but it is not something I can see. I suspect that Broma and the pups can't see it, either.

"Toboe?"

I come to the brown wolf's side without thinking, and place a hand on his neck. Toboe stiffens, before a low whine escapes his throat.

"It's getting hazy," He replies to my unasked question. His tone is calm, but he is betrayed by the fur standing on end on his back. "My memories, I mean. Sometimes they're clear, and I can see them perfectly, as if I see you standing before me now. But now…it's as if I'm trying to look in muddy water."

My fingers thread through Toboe's fur. "Maybe Paradise is trying to tell us that we have to forge our own journey, our own memories," I say, though anxiety is coursing through my veins. "Maybe each path to Paradise _has _to be different than the last; otherwise the beauty of it—of accomplishing our goal—is meaningless."

Toboe is quiet for a moment, dwelling on my musings, before he gently shakes my hand off and pads forward. "Perhaps. But it still worries me."

I sigh, but let him go, sensing that he needed the company of other wolves more than mine. The other wolves were already farther ahead, playing under the moonlight. I watch solemnly, Toboe's pessimistic attitude contagious, and his clear need to be rid of my nagging at my heart. Though I can sense that Toboe likes humans more than the other wolves—with the exception of Chanson—I can't understand him. He acts like a wolf: proud, fierce and loyal. But other times, he seems more human than what he should: moody and bitter, with a fierce tinge of regret. But at what? The pup I knew—though briefly—hadn't seemed like that at all. He had seemed trusting, genuine. Almost a pet more than a wild creature, but still proud.

I shake my thoughts away and follow silently behind the wolves, ignoring my troubled thoughts.

Two hours later, I find myself curled up amongst the warmth of the wolf pack. Broma managed to find a dip in the ground, protected by a large wall of rock, so that we wouldn't feel the biting effects of the wind. Or, rather, that _I _wouldn't.

I'm lying on the cold ground, staring into the flames that I had created to cook my venison with. With my belly full, and exhaustion dragging my eyelids down, I should be tired, but I'm not. Chanson, who's lying besides me, nuzzles closer, and places her head next to mine.

"Will you tell us a story, Leara?" Her voice conveys her exhaustion and wistfulness. "Mommy used to tell Zari and me a story before we went to sleep. It helped chase the monsters away."

My chest tightens at the yearning in Chanson's voice. "I'm sorry, Chanson. I don't know any stories."

The she-pup's whisper is almost inaudible, but it makes me cringe all the same.

"How about we sing instead?" I suggest. "You can show me your beautiful voice."

Broma's snort is louder than what it should be. "A human can't sing with a wolf. It'll make us tone-deaf."

I ignore the jibe, as well as Zari's snort of amusement. Toboe's accompanying growl quickly silences the pup.

"Well, then, why don't you tell us a story, Broma?" I answer sweetly. The dark-red wolf blinks, and gives a brief wag of his tail.

"If you insist, Leara," he smirks. "I think I will tell you a wolf legend…one that hasn't been spoken of in decades. It was forbidden at one point by my alpha, but I learned of it through my pack's story-teller before he died. It's an ancient thing, one that's been passed down for generations."

Broma clears his throat, and Chanson scoots even closer to me, her body almost atop of mine. Her soft, puppy fur tickles my skin, and I suppress the urge to laugh.

Broma's eyes flutter close, and he sways to a nonexistent tune. When he opens his eyes, they seem whiter than their normal pale blue. His voice, when he speaks, becomes an ancient and feral beat.

"_When the ancient clan's first plot fails, another will take its place, in hopes of resurrecting the Dual Soul. They will Hunt down the Wolves for Sacrifice, and will bring about the destruction of Man in search of the one who will lead them to their Utopia. But their actions will be too late, for the Split-Soul—the one of a wild soul with a tamed heart---will have already taken its form of vulnerable flesh and blood and bone. The One of Split-Souls will have the echo of the memories of the den and the reality of the city. The Dual Soul shall forge a new path to the place of Rebirth and Hope, with the help of the Reborn Wolf and a pack of Song, Co__u__rage and Tricks. When the lost ones are given back their past, then the flower shall awaken, and with it, the Guardian of the Gates who will revel the truth of the Duality. Only with the willing death of a wolf that has lost everything can the Gates be opened, and Ut__o__pia is fully realized, and even then, they may walk through the gates at a cost."_

Broma's eyes return to their normal color of pale blue when his tale ends. My mind spins at the clarity of the words—the clarity of mud, that is.

Zari and Chanson are staring at Broma with a look of bewilderment.

"That wasn't even a story!" Zari complains, tucking his tail under his chin. "And it made no sense."

Chanson's sleepy gaze returns. "It sounded like one of those things that Mommy used to tell us about…Riddles." She yawns. "But Zari's right, it didn't make sense! What's a Split-Soul? And what's Eutopnoa?"

"Utopia," Broma corrects, "Is another wolf legend, but one that's become very obscure and forgotten. No one remembers what it means."

Chanson turns to me. "Next time, you tell the story, Leara. Broma likes to confuse us."

I laugh quietly, but the red-wolf's words echo in my mind, bringing forth a distant, dim memory that nags at me incessantly. I try to remember it, but it slips from my grasp like water and shrug it aside.

"Well, g'night then," Zari yawns, and turns away from the fire. Chanson closes her eyes, and I soon feel her breathing deeply and soundly.

"There's something about those words," Toboe says softly, gazing into the fire. "They sound familiar, but like the distant echo of a dream."

He turns to Broma. "What was the name of that legend?"

Broma turns his gaze to me. "The Story of the Duality."

I sigh and ignore Broma's gaze. I'm not in the mood to deal with his riddles right now. Instead, I close my eyes, to rid myself of the strange wolf-legend and the males' gazes, and am instantly overcome by sleep…and by dreams.

_A she-wolf stands quietly amidst a sea of blackness. There is no form to this dream-__scape__, no colors but the wolf. As my mind's eye draws closer, I can see that she's the most beautiful wolf I've ever seen. Her fur is the color of midnight, streaked throughout with silver as brilliant as the moo__n__light. Her legs are long and thin, her tail full and silvery. She is delicately built, but there's something in her face that b__e__lays a sense of neglect and sorrow. I realize that I can't see a human project for the wolf, and I'm u__n__nerved by it._

_"Who are you?" I ask. My voice echoes strangely in this void. The she-wolf looks up at me, her golden eyes dull._

_"One who is dying, or may have died long ago," She answers. Her voice is dry, as if she hasn't spoken in a long time. "The years have flown by me, so that I no long know if I am in existence or not. I have lived in the shadows for so, so long__.."_

_She trails off, her eyes glassy. For some reason, I'm desperate to keep her attention._

_"What is your name? Why are you here?" My questions snap the she-wolf to her senses._

_Her tail droops. "If you do not know, then you are not ready," She replies. "If the dreams haven't come, then the time is not ripe."_

_"What are you talking about? What am I not ready for?"_

_The she-wolf ignores my queries and turns her back to me. "Go, and try to remember your past. After that, we will meet again."_

_She fades before my very eyes, and I am cast into the oblivion of sleep.

* * *

_**A/N:** It's been too long since I've updated, and I'm sorry for that! You don't want to hear my excuses, but lately it's been hard for me to get to the computer. Plus, I just watched the last 4 episodes of Wolf's Rain for the first time(OMG!! Cried my eyes out!!) and I realized that I needed to change some parts of my plot (which will effect next chapter!) and to redefine Toboe.  
Anyway, thank you to everyone who's reviewed! This is my first time to ever reach 33 reviews, and I'm very excited! -does a happy dance- 

Keep the reviews coming, and I'll update as soon as I can!

-Madison


	9. I Spy

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Chapter 8:

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My dreams have faded with the night, and in the morning, I can barely recall them at all. A vague voice is all I have left of my restless night, and its words mean nothing to me. _"…you are not ready. If the dreams haven't come, then the time is not ripe."_

At first, I wish to share the troubling words with Toboe, but I can't bring myself to do it. It's as if something is making me hold my tongue, some type of instinctual reaction. I can't let him think I'm crazy...or what may be dubbed crazy in the eyes of a wolf.

My pack and I move on before the dawn breaks on the horizon, and our day continues as the one before it; one long, weary travel toward a destination that only Broma knows. As I walk behind the strong wolf, I recall our conversation from earlier in the day.

"_Cole said that you could show us the way to find a friend of ours," I had said. "She said you knew Tsume's whereabouts."_

_Toboe had looked hopeful then, his eyes wide and intense. Broma had dipped his head in acknowledgement._

"_Yes, I know Tsume," he affirmed. "Or rather, rumors of Tsume. It's said he's in a deserted city that's not too far from here. It's a rough area, though, said to be inhabited by gangs."_

_The contempt in Broma's voice had been clear, but Toboe had been quick to defend his companion. "Don't act like you've never hidden amongst the humans," He'd growled. "We all have."_

"_Wolves among the sheep." I had said quietly, so only Toboe could hear. To get Toboe's mind off of the dark matters ahead, I had asked, "What is the name of this city?"_

"_It has no official name, but many call it the Spine."_

My mind spins to the present, and I watch as Broma treks silently onward. Toboe is beside him, though they make no effort to speak to one another. Ever since Broma insulted Tsume, Toboe has been tense around the male, snappish and ready to oppose him. It was a matter that only they could settle, yet it affected all of us. 

To my left, Chanson trots along happily, unaware of the tension in the air. Her gray and black coat is covered in sand, yet it doesn't seem to bother her. She turns to me, giving a wolfish smile.

"Want to play a game, Leara?" She asks suddenly. "Zari and I used to play it all the time when Mommy went hunting and left us behind."

"Okay." I agree, wishing to distract myself.

"I'll go first," Chanson says. "I spy with my little eye something…brown."

"The dirt." I reply.  
Chanson pouts.  
"Let me try again! I spy with my little eye…something…" She looks upward. "Blue!"

I can already tell that this game is going to drive me insane. "The sky."

"Aw, you got it again! Let's see… I spy with my little eye something-"

She stiffens and switches to her human projection, wide-eyed and trembling. "There's a group of humans coming!"

Instantly, the males' attention switches from their disagreement to the fast-approaching group. "How did they sneak up on us?" Toboe snarls, also throwing up his human projection. Zari and Broma follow suit, though Broma's lips are still drawn back into a tight snarl.

"They're downwind, that's why." He growls. 

Zari looks from Toboe to Broma. "What do we do?" He asks with childish panic in his voice. "Do we run or attack?"

"Neither," I say calmly. The wolves stare at me dumbly. "We continue on, like we never even saw them. If we panic, then they'll figure we have something to hide or something valuable and they'll come after us."

"What makes you so certain?" Broma asks stiffly. 

I laugh with a little more than a hint of debridement. "I think I'd know what goes on in a human's head better than you would, Broma. Plus," I add, "Think about it. If you were walking along with your pack and caught sight of something run away from you, wouldn't your first instinct be to chase after it?"

Broma dips his head in consent but still looks slightly uneasy. "Very well, we'll do as you say, Wolf-Speaker."

He turns to the pups. "No matter what, keep your projections up. We can't reveal ourselves to anyone."

Chanson nods, but Zari frowns. "But Broma, we shouldn't hide just because _Leara_ says we should!" He protests. "We should let them see us as we really are; it'll be the last thing they see."

I blink at the pup's astonishing bloodthirsty attitude. Toboe responds instantly. 

"We do not harm them unless they harm us," He thunders. "And if you want to disagree with me, then you'll find yourself with more than a few bites."

Zari turns appealingly to Broma, but the red-pelted wolf says nothing and instead pierces the youngster with his unsettling blue-white eyes.

"They're coming closer," Chanson whimpers. Instinctively, I try to grasp her hand, only to find myself holding onto the scruff of her neck instead.

"Keep walking," I say in what I think a stern voice. Chanson obeys instantly, as does Broma. Zari hesitates, but with Toboe eyeing him the way he is, it doesn't take long for him to follow.

Chanson nuzzles my leg uneasily. 

"Be brave, sweetheart." I say quietly, so only she can hear. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

It takes only a few moments after that for the gang to catch up to us. They circle us silently, while we pretend not to notice their intrusion. There's about twelve of them, all atop what appears to be wheel-less, metallic skateboards that float silently above the dry ground. _Shimmer-boards_, I realize. Developed a few years back by some Noble's scientists, shimmer-boards were the latest in all terrain hovercraft technology. Unlike other hovercrafts, shimmer-boards were able to run on any terrain, and without having the restraint of having to stay within a city's boundaries for fear of flying out of range of the Hover-Grid that each city has to power their crafts.

_If they have shimmer-boards, then they might have other advanced technology, too_. I think. Mainly of the shooting kind. I tighten my hold on Chanson.

"Where do you all think you're going?" A heavily scarred male settles himself in front of Broma, blocking his path. Another does the same to Toboe.

"That's none of your business, now is it?" Broma replies genially. The scarred male fixes Broma with murky brown eyes. His ruined lips twitch angrily.

"You ain't got no respect," He growls. "And we don't like people who don't give respect."

Quick as lightening, the man draws a knife from his belt and flashes it in front of Broma's face. "Well, I'll teach you respect quick enough."

Toboe intercedes before Broma tries to tear the man's throat out. "We don't mean any harm," He says in a friendly tone. "Nor any disrespect. We'll be out of your way quickly enough."

The man with the knife pauses at Toboe's tone and lowers the blade. "You've already crossed into our territory. We should make you pay up." 

"We're just passing by," I interrupt. "We didn't know this was your land. We're just trying to reach our destination quickly and safely; the children are exhausted, and we don't want to linger in this place any longer than we must."

The men's gazes turn toward me. Broma's assailant eyes me with interest.  
"That so?" The vagabond smirks. "Now why would a pretty young thing like you be doing traveling with two grown men and two brats? Doesn't make any sense to me."

"They're my cousins," I reply quickly. "We're traveling on our way to my mother's new home."

My lie is almost transparent, and this man sees through it easily. He abandons Broma and is in front of my face before I can blink. 

"I think that you're a little liar." He reaches out and grasps my chin with a strong grip. I make no sound, but I can already feel the bruises that will bloom later. I struggle, but his grip is like iron.

Chanson growls loudly and her human projection stamps on the man's foot, while her true form scratches his leg fiercely. He yips in pain and smacks Chanson with his free hand, keeping his hold on me all the while. Chanson growls, but doesn't whimper. 

"I'd advise you to leave them alone," Toboe's voice is a snarl, all traces of ease gone. Quicker than the human eye could follow, he's behind the man who had been standing in front of him. Toboe kicks the human in the back, causing him to double over. Broma reacts immediately, his human form darting among the men and leaving them groaning in pain in his wake. Chanson and Zari respond in kind, attacking anyone near them. The wolves try to get closer to my captor and take out his men and they begin to weave an intricate web of movement.

Toboe is one of the first to reach my side, his human hand reaching out towards me. It's then that I feel cold metal against my head, hear the click of the gun as it's cocked.

"Nobody moves, or the girl's pretty little head will be gone." My captor hisses. Instantly, the wolves stop their attack, and the remaining men have them in their grasp. That doesn't stop Toboe from growling viciously, and I gasp when he's silenced by a blow to his head with the butt of a gun.

"I should kill you now," My captor says, pressing the gun harder against my head. My skull throbs. "Lucky for you, our Boss likes to mete out the executions himself. Let's see what he has to say about you five."

&&&&&&

The brutes loaded us onto the back of their shimmer-boards; they had bound the males, and left Chanson and I only under guard. They drove quickly across the flat landscape of the wilderness, and I saw our destination minutes before we reached it.

A vast, ruined city lay before us, stretched amidst the desert landscape like a giant's backbone. Dust covered the walls and the wind whistled mournfully through the streets, echoing the city's emptiness. I could see that the city had been great once, though it had been constructed quickly by the looks of the scaffolding still encasing many of the ruins. It must have been a quarry-town, where someone had found some collection of valuable raw minerals used for the highest technology. Quarry-towns had been dubbed 'boomtowns' in the early years of the 19th century, but they had become Quarry-towns a decade ago, because all the residents did was violently quarrel over prospects and money.

A fitting place for the gang that now held us hostage.

The shimmer-boards make their way silently through the quarry-town, skirting up the dust in their wake. The leader—or second in command, as we're being taken to 'the Boss'---has me pressed tightly against him, though I don't think it's just for my safety.

The thugs take us to the heart of the city, where a magnificent building lays. By the shiny, reflective metal on the outside, I guess it was a private residence building. As our captors take us into the mouth of the building, I see that I can't look through the metal, as one might glass, but once we pass through and into the lobby, I see that we can look out. Definitely a private abode, once.

The shimmer-boarders take us to the gutted elevator shafts, and with one flick of a switch, I find myself being rocketed skyward. I close my eyes against the movement, and I hear Chanson yip of surprise beneath me. 

We stop at the third floor, and my captor hauls me roughly off the board and throws me down in front of him. Toboe and the others get the same treatment. I try to edge closer to Chanson, but the scarred man laughs and brutally push me back.

"Stay, girl." He commands me, as if I were a dog. The others howl in laughter and I clench my teeth so I don't say anything. I look around the room instead and find that we're in a suite of some type. Ruined upholstery covers the walls, and in some places it looks as if claw marks riddle it. Dusty couches and tables fill the room, which is lit by the broken wall that lets sunlight stream in. A blood-red armchair is turned facing the broken wall, the only furniture in the room that has been disturbed recently. 

"I take it you've brought me someone, Kip?" A male voice asks from the armchair. His tone is remote and yet commanding. My captor, Kip, grins.

"Aye, Boss. Caught a couple of kids trespassing on the southern land and thought you'd like to know about it."

"What concern of it is mine?" The faceless Boss replies. His tone is bordering that of boredom. "Especially if they're kids. They can't do us any harm."

"Oh, but they can, Boss," Kip says quickly, trying to earn his Boss's approval. "Four of them attacked us like they were animals! And this girl here," he gives me a shove with his boot. "Well, I thought you'd like her. You always said you liked wild things."

At this, Toboe can't keep quiet any longer. "You humans always pick on those who are defenseless!"

I hear rather than see the blow that he's dealt, and then silence descends upon the room. Chanson whimpers.

"What did you say?" The Boss asks his voice tight and sharp. 

Toboe glares at the back of the armchair like he can bore holes through it. "You humans—"

The man in the chair rises suddenly, and I can see his broad, strong leather clad back. Yet he doesn't face us.

"Who is to say that we're all humans? We are all driven by primal, almost animalistic instincts that can cast us beyond humanity. Especially here in this wasteland, where there is no law but my word. The word of a leader of a pack of vagrants, the word of a leader who has no memories to tie him back. Do not talk to me about humanity, boy."

He turns then, and I'm met by a handsome man in his late twenties or early thirties that is still in his prime. His eyes spit deadly gold fire, and his silvery blonde hair is tied back in a tiny ponytail. 

Toboe's eyes wide and his jaw drops. He says in a quiet, almost nonexistent voice, "And what would you know about humanity…Tsume?" 

**A/N:** Ah, dear, sweet Tsume, how I've missed thee!  
xD  
Yep, it's definately going to be fun writing about Tsume and Toboe's little reunion..part of me was convince that they had a thing for each other in the anime, yet I like the idea of writing about ToboeXLeara more. Mainly because I can't write guy/guy stuff because how would I know anything about that, seeing as I'm a girl!

I'm rambling, so review to get me quiet!

-Madison


	10. Debt

**

* * *

**

Chapter 9

* * *

Shocking would not adequately cover the situation my pack and I were now in. In fact, I'm sure there is no word in the English language to sufficiently describe the stunning mess we currently found ourselves in. We had gone out searching for a lost wolf, only to be captured by said wolf's cronies.

That's irony for you.

I stare in amazement at the hidden wolf before me; his human guise is every inch the gang leader he was refuted to be. His well-worn leather jacket is cropped to reveal a set of muscles any man would be jealous of, and his tight leather pants show off legs a woman would kill for. His face is set in a remote and cool expression, and for some reason, it seems only too natural for him.

I squint at man before me, and slowly, he's replaced by a hazy outline of a wolf. I can't make out any defining features about Tsume's true form, besides the amazing bulk of him. I could see why Toboe referred to him as the beta wolf of their former pack; his haunches are huge, and his bristling gray fur only makes him seem larger. I stare harder, trying to push pass the haze of his amnesia, when a sudden force hits me like a ton of bricks. It knocks the breath out of me and leaves me feeling dizzy. I shake my head, trying to recall the image I'd seen before I was forced from Tsume's true form. Actually, it wasn't an image so much as a feeling… But of _what? _Something was blocking me, but _what_?

Tsume's golden eyes flicker to Toboe, his lips twitching into a tight line and his gaze hardening.  
"How do you know my name, kid?" The beta wolf asks. His words are clipped and his tone is intense, as if he could intimate the answer straight from Toboe's lips.

"For the same reason I know why you're unhappy living with these humans." Toboe replies, meeting Tsume's steely gaze with his own warm, amber eyes. "I know what you're feeling, Tsume. I know the reason why you feel you have to dominate this pack of humans, why you crave your own territory. Why you feel as if you have indefinitely lost a part of yourself."

Tsume's expression is unreadable, his eyes cold. Unexpectedly, he throws his head back and laughs. "What are you, some kind of mind reader, kid?" He mocks. "Quit your rambling, before I decide to give you and your friends over to Kip and his crew."

Tsume's tiny gold earring catches the light and flashes brilliantly as he turns his back to us. "You don't know anything about me, _boy_," Tsume spits, not bothering to look back in our direction. "And you presume too much to even try to con me with that crap you spouted off."

Kip and the others chuckle quietly, afraid to incur the wrath of the bulky gray wolf. I steal a glance at Toboe, and I see the tension and disbelief in the set of his jaw. The pain he's going through at seeing his pack mate like this is unbearable to me.

"Tsume, he's telling the truth!" I say, hoping to somehow help Toboe with his cause. "You're not like the others you surround yourself with! Think about it; don't you have a nagging sense in the back of your mind? Something that tells you you're not like the rest of these morons? You have power, Tsume, but it has nothing to do with humanity—"

A sharp blow to my cheek stuns me and momentarily leaves me silenced. I flex my sore jaw and look up at Kip, who's grinning sadistically. I hear two growls behind me; the soft anger of Chanson and the thunderous ferocity of Toboe. I wave them off as best as I can with my hands tied behind my back, fearing that they'll be next if they show impudence. Fear of indirectly hurting them keeps me from saying anything more to the bully.

"Shut up, girlie." The brute commands. "Boss doesn't want to hear you're constant babbling."  
At this, Tsume turns to look at Kip. A growl escapes his throat and his lips twitch dangerously.  
"Did I tell you to lay a hand on the girl, Kip?" Tsume asks quietly.

Kip fidgets nervously. "Well no, but Boss—"

Quick as a flash of lightening, Kip is thrown across the room, landing with a hard thud against the opposite wall. I blink and find that Tsume's in the spot that Kip had occupied only seconds before.  
"I didn't order you to do anything, so keep your hands to yourself." The gray wolf snarls.

I feel a sudden rush of thankfulness towards the lost wolf, and when our eyes meet, I dip my head in grateful acknowledgment.

He snorts. "Don't try to get on my good side, girl. I don't have one."

"My name isn't _girl_ you know," I reply sharply. "It's Leara."

"Whatever."  
Kip groans and manages to get to his feet. He watches Tsume warily.  
"Boss, she's the one that the Nobles have been asking for," Kips says, trying to get back in Tsume's good graces. "The girl that murdered her father and some other chick. There's a pretty big bounty on her head."  
I cringe at the false accusation, the injustice of it stinging me as if I'd been slapped again.  
Tsume cocks an eyebrow and eyes me skeptically. "This is the Freeze City Murderess? I'm surprised. I expected someone more…vicious."

Toboe growls softly in the back of his throat. "She didn't do it…I did."

Tsume's gaze swivels to him. "Really? A pipsqueak like you killed all those people?"

"I did it to protect my pack mate," Toboe answers, looking at me. His eyes are surprisingly warm, holding some type of emotion I can't name. "And I'd do it again in a heartbeat, if I had to."

Tsume studies him silently for a few uneasy moments, as if to gauge the sincerity of his words. He turns to Kip.  
"Take them all to the basement," He commands. "Make sure they can't escape. After all, we can't claim the bounty unless we have the girl, right?"  
My heart sinks to somewhere below my stomach, and for the first time in a long while, a true stab of fear clenches my heart. My breath catches as Tsume fixes me with his golden stare. I hear Broma and Toboe growl viciously as they're hauled up by their arms.

"And Kip? If I find that you've touched the girl, you're going to be sorry." He adds. I look at the gang leader, flabbergasted by his contradictory orders.  
He sees the puzzlement in my eyes and quickly adds, "We don't want the Nobles to jip us on our due pay, and if the girl is hurt…well, then they can't play with her themselves then, can they?"

Kip grabs my arms—more gentle than the first time—and hauls me up. My shoulders scream in protest, but I ignore the pain. My concentration is on Tsume, and I feel compelled to try to bring the wolf from its hiding.  
"Tsume, those memories that are pulling at your mind won't go away after you get rid of me," I say. "They'll just continue to gnaw at you, until you're driven mad. I hope you know that."

Tsume shrugs nonchalantly. "At least I'll have _you_ out of my hair."  
With that, he turns from his former pack mate and leaves us to our fate.

--&--

The basement isn't a wonderful place. I had been hoping that it would at least have a window or maybe even a bathroom, but instead, we're locked in a basement that could have been built in the Dark Ages. The walls are slick and covered in moss and God knows what else. The floors were made of dirt and bits of broken artifacts littered the area. The smell is the worse, though; the air stinks of rotten meat, vomit and the rusty tang of blood. My nose wrinkles against the smell, and for once I'm grateful that I don't have the senses of a wolf. The expressions on the pups' faces confirm that sometimes it's better to be human.

"Well, that went smashingly," Broma says. He casually tests the chains that bind his arms, yanking the chains viciously. "Nothing better than being locked up in a dungeon."

"It's actually a basement." I correct, trying to be light-hearted. Unfortunately, it's hard to sustain an optimistic attitude when your arms are bound to a wall by heavy chains and you're about to be sold to the equivalent of Satan's minions.

On the end of the row, down by Broma, I can hear Zari growling frantically. The soft sound of fang hitting metal reaches my ears, and I feel my own jaw beginning to ache.  
"Zari, stop that." I say calmly. "You're going to break a tooth."

"What do you care?" The pup replies. "It's _your_ fault that we're in this mess in the first place! If you hadn't come with us, then none of this would have happened!"

His sudden outburst stuns me and I feel my heart ache. I want to deny that it's my fault that the pack is in this fix. But the words won't pass my lips.  
"Stop it, Zari!" Chanson cries, stung by her brother's words. "Stop trying to blame Leara! She didn't do anything wrong!"

To my left, Toboe intercedes on my behalf. "Quit it, all of you! We don't need to be arguing right now. We need to try to get out of here, before the Nobles come. We've got to reach Tsume."

"Toboe, he doesn't remember anything," Broma says. "We can't help him. We've got to move on."  
"No, Broma. I'm not leaving here without at least trying one more time."

Broma grows quiet, before I hear him sigh. "Very well. Let's get out of here."  
Without another word, the red wolf to my right drops his human façade, his lips pulled back to reveal his dagger-like fangs. He begins viciously chewing at the chain restraining his right paw. His gums begin to bleed, but that doesn't slow the wolf down. With one last _clink_, the chain breaks away, leaving the manacle tight around his paw. Quickly, he turns to his left paw and starts working on the other chain.

Toboe also has chewed through his restrains and swiftly comes to my side. "Stay still, Leara." He says.  
He yanks on the chains, his blood dripping on my arms as he does so. After a moment, the chains fall away, leaving me with the wrist shackles still remaining, but I can't worry about that now. The marks of my capture will stay on my wrists. Toboe goes to Chanson's aid, as Broma finishes up releasing Zari.

The wolves' human projections return, and I stand, rubbing my chaffed wrists. I eye the steel door to the basement.  
"Any way you can chew through _that_?" I ask. Broma shakes his head.  
"We're wolves, not magicians." He replies. "I'd rather not break my jaw."

Zari stiffens suddenly. "I hear someone coming."

Toboe and Broma cast a quick glance at one another before they nod in silent agreement. Toboe turns to the pups and I. "Hide in the corner of the room. Quickly! Broma and I will get whoever this unlucky guy is."

The pair of males positions themselves on each side of the door, while I lead the pups to the darkest corner of the room.  
For a breathless moment, the footsteps fade away. Then the lock clicks; the door handle turns; and a figure steps into the room.

Without wasting time, Broma and Toboe pounce. The figure nimbly leaps aside, a snarl on his face and his golden eyes alight with fury.  
Toboe halts his attack as recognition dawns, while Broma's stance remains aggressive, his fists clenched at his side.

"Pretty clever, brat," Tsume laughs. "Though I don't know how you managed to get out of those chains."

Broma answers with a steely gaze. "We got out the way that our kind can; we clawed our way out."  
Tsume's eyes dart to the broken chains. "My guys must not have checked you for weapons, then," He says, "because it looks like those chains were sawed off."

"More liked chewed off," Toboe counters. He steps forward slightly and Tsume tenses. Toboe raises his hands up in a gesture of no ill wishes.

"Tsume, you've got to listen to me!" Toboe says. His face is so hopeful, so on edge, that for a moment I think there's something else there; a flicker of some emotion that sends a flicker in the pit of my stomach.  
"Why should I? What have you got to say that's so important?" Tsume growls. The boys don't notice his left hand stealthily sliding down his side, toward his lower back.  
"Tsume, can't you remember?" Toboe cries in dismay. "Can't you remember what you are?"  
"I'm a leader," The gray wolf replies. "I am a loner, and I _don't need you messing up my life!_"

With that, the gray wolf lunges at Toboe, a wickedly sharp knife clenched in his fist.  
"TOBOE!" The words pass my lips without thought.

I react instinctively and push Toboe out of the way as Tsume's knife comes down on the space where his chest had been only seconds before… and where I now stood.  
I see the flash of silver seconds before I feel the pain that accompanies it. I gasp aloud at the sharpness of the steel, at the disbelief in Tsume's eyes and the cries of Chanson and Toboe.

I feel the warmth of my blood as it runs down my side, see the dark crimson stain my shirt, and I stagger incredulity. I look down and see a wide slash on my ribs that's more near my back than any vital organs. Tsume looks grim as he yanks the knife away from me. I'm proud of myself when the only sound I make is a tiny whimper. In an instant, Chanson is at my side, and I find myself leaning against her slight frame. The blue-eyed girl gasps as my legs buckle and I come crashing down to my knees. Broma's at my side, taking charge from Chanson, letting me lean on him while his true form supports me by letting me lean heavily on his back. My weight of 140 pounds doesn't even seem to faze him, nor does it bother him that my blood is staining his coat.

"Leara!" Chanson's tone is frantic, and she begins to lick my wound while her human projection squeezes my hand in fear. I give her a faint, reassuring smile.

"Why'd you have to go and get in the way, girl?" Tsume says. There's no sign of remorse in his words, but his eyes betray him. From what I knew of Tsume, he was a wolf with thief's honor; his quarrel had been with Toboe, not with me, a defenseless girl. And his eyes, those golden pools, say that he's deeply regretful and sorry. But before I can say anything, there's a ferocious snarl and I see a dusty, furry form fling itself at Tsume. Tsume crashes to the ground as Toboe savagely bites his arms. Tsume kicks Toboe in the stomach, gaining the advantage long enough for him to roll away from the snarling wolf. Tsume looks up, knife in hand, ready to face his opponent. When he sees the dusty red wolf before him, his gaze changes from one of revenge and anger to disbelief and awe.

"What is that, your pet dog?" Tsume manages to croak out. He stares at Toboe with appreciation in his eyes, and a flicker of recognition hardens the line of his jaw.  
"So familiar…" Tsume's whisper strains the lines at the corners of his eyes. Toboe growls, a softly menacing sound.  
"You may be my pack mate," Toboe says softly, "But you will _not_ harm Leara. I'll tear your throat out myself if you do."

Tsume's remote and superior composure settles back in place again, and he sheathes his knife. "Look, I didn't aim for the girl," Tsume says. "If she hadn't gone all noble and shoved you out of the way, then—"  
"Speaking of Noble," Broma interrupts. "I think I hear someone coming."  
Toboe tenses and turns to the door, cocking his head to one side. His ears perk up, and he begins to tremble.  
"I hear them, too." He says. He turns to Broma, Zari and Chanson. "We've got to get out of here, but we've got to protect Leara while doing so. Broma, you're a better fighter than me. Let me carry Leara, while you—"

"I'm fine," I object. "I can get out of here. Don't worry about me; I can take care of myself."

"You obviously can't," Tsume puts in, with only a tiny bit of sarcasm. "Otherwise you wouldn't have a knife wound to your ribs."

I fix Tsume with what I hope is a piercing gaze. "And whose fault is _that_?"  
He snorts. "Not mine. You're the one who got in the way."  
Broma adjusts his footing to better hold me up and says smoothly, "We can't stand around here playing the blame game. Unless, of course, you _want_ to be a Noble's new fur coat."  
Broma turns towards the door, and consequently, I do as well. "Can you stand?" He asks. I try to get my feet underneath me, but the combination of blood loss and hunger has weakened me more than I first thought. I wobble and fall back against the wolf, which catches me with ease.  
Toboe's at my side, his human project up. Gently, he takes me from Broma's care—deaf to my protests--and has me practically laying on his back in an unwanted piggyback ride.  
"Hold onto my neck, Leara," he instructs.  
"Toboe just let me walk, please—"

He lowers his voice to a hiss. "Leara, if you insist on walking in your condition, you're making yourself a vulnerable target, and the pack will try to protect you. And if we're trying to protect you, then we can't concentrate on watching our own backs."

Realization dawns. I'm now a liability to the pack; I'm endangering them yet again with my humanity. I try to get stand up to protest--to prove that I _can_ save myself—but my wound suddenly widens and a fresh trail of blood leaks down my side. I find myself grasping Toboe's fur and nodding weakly.  
Toboe turns to Tsume, who's watching the proceedings quietly. "Tsume," Toboe says. Even now, after what he did to me, Toboe is desperate for Tsume to remember. "No matter what you think you know about yourself, you're wrong. You're living a lie, when you could be living freely. You surround yourself with humans, when you could be with your own kind. You're in a living hell, when you could be going to Paradise…"

Toboe trails off, and I hear the words catching in his throat. "Tsume…you're a wolf."  
Tsume studies Toboe impassively, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Look, you may be a wolf or whatever, but I'm not. I'm _human_."

The pain in Toboe's face is obvious, and he slowly shakes his head. "Even if you don't believe me, please come with us, Tsume. Come with us to Paradise."

Tsume turns away. "I've got it good here, kid." His voice is weary. "And it's the best I can probably ever get. I'll settle for it."  
He looks over his shoulder at us. "If you go now, I can probably delay those Noble's goons for a few minutes. All this trouble isn't worth any bounty. What are you waiting for? Get going!"

Toboe studies the gray wolf for a moment, before nodding his head sadly. He lopes to the door, where the rest of the pack is already awaiting, and I jar against his fur.  
"Go, Broma!" Toboe commands. The red and black wolf obeys and silently slips out the door, his human façade's feet making no sound. Zari follows behind, like a shadow, then Chanson. Toboe reaches the door and I inexplicitly feel the need to say one last thing to Tsume.  
"This isn't it, you know." My voice is barely above a whisper, yet my words are strong. "This isn't your Paradise."  
A strange and mournful look comes over Tsume's features. He gives me a lopsided smile. "It is now, girl."  
With that, Toboe slips from our dungeon and out of sight from his former beta.

--

The wolves' paws don't make a sound on the titled floor as we make our escape. In the lead, Broma slides easily from wall to wall, his human head thrown back and sniffing the air for any sign of humans. Zari flanks Broma, while Chanson drops back to keep pace with Toboe and I. The concern in the she-wolf's eyes is plain and slightly overdone. I feel the need to comfort her, but there's nothing I can say. Toboe follows Broma silently, and I know his thoughts have turned to Tsume. I release my grip and give his neck and soothing, reassuring stroke. His only reply is to nudge my hand, telling me to hold on again.

Broma stops suddenly, the fur on the back of his neck bristling. His ears flatten against his skull, and his tail rises into a hunting position. The pups stiffen and I feel a growl building in Toboe's chest.  
"Yeah, they're this way," Kip's voice precedes him from the corridor to our left, and I hear footsteps follow.  
"Our Boss went to check on them about thirty minutes ago," He continues. "Making sure that we hadn't ruffed them up too much for ya."  
Another voice answers. "Indeed. It would be…unfortunate if that had occurred."  
At the sound of this new voice, my spine tightens and I feel my breath stop. _That voice!_ I think. _It sounds so…Familiar…_

"I do hope that we find Miss. Leara in a…suitable condition." The voice says in a nasty tone. The voice makes me cringe; it's like nails on a chalkboard, it sends a tremor down my spine and into my very being. It sends a message to my brain: _DANGER._

Broma resumes leading us in the opposite direction of Kip and the unknown male, his pace quicker and hurried. The others catch the hint, and they too start to pick up speed. We round the corner--

Only to find that we've stumbled upon the gang's lounging room.

They notice us instantly.  
"Hey, what the--?"

"How did they--?"

"CATCH THEM!"

The twenty men rush at us like a tidal wave, reaching for weapons of every sort, but Broma doesn't give them the chance. His human façade drops as his concentration switches from maintaining the illusion to defending his pack. He is a terrifying sight to behold; with his blood red coat and his dangerous golden eyes, Broma reminds me of an old legend I'd once heard about a wolf who wanted to devour the world. Broma launches himself at the nearest two men, his fierce beauty frightening. He tears out a man's throat and moves to the next man before the body even hits the ground. Zari follows suit though he's less fierce than his idol. He snaps at the men's legs, tearing muscle and leaves them paralyzed, rather than finishing them off.  
I watch helplessly as even little Chanson shows her wild side. She's a quick flash of black and gray as she nimbly evades any who try to block her way. Toboe, meanwhile, takes me away from the action, and heads to a door on the far end of the crumbling room. We're almost at the doorway when a figure steps through.  
A tall, wiry man blocks our way. The sight of him sends an unnamed terror through me, and I feel as if I'm gazing at Satan himself. Most of his body is covered by a black, skintight body suit, though I can tell it's toned.

and well muscled. What skin I can see is covered with scars; some seem like bite marks, and other seem almost like knife wounds. His face is what sends a jolt of fear and hazy recognition down to my very core; his face is pale and pasty, though it could have been handsome once upon a time. His cheeks are shrunken, his lips are thin and his eyes…oh, his eyes send such sparks of hatred through me that I find myself trembling. They're dark, dark holes that seem to swallow my very soul; they're merciless and cold and filled with such evil, unnatural cunning.  
"Ah.. the Wolf-Speaker," The man says in a hollowly amiable tone. His voice is the one who was with Kip!  
I hear pawsteps behind me, and I see Broma, Zari and Chanson come behind us. Chanson is whining frantically, her eyes wide with fear, while Zari's fur stands on end. Broma eyes the man with an enigmatic gaze, though there's something flickering behind his eyes.  
"Who are you?" My voice barely trembles. "How do you know me?"  
The man smirks in amusement. "My, my…has the Wolf-Speaker forgotten me already? Ah, well. I guess I'll just have to reintroduce myself..."

Toboe growls beneath me. "Stay away from her!" He snarls. The man looks at Toboe as if seeing him for the first time.  
"Ah, I see you've found him. I expected as much, though Lord Darcia didn't believe you could bring them back."  
Toboe's snarl is thunderous. "_Lord Darcia?_" He spits. "He's dead."  
The man laughs mockingly. "Oh, but he isn't. He was brought back, just like you were, Toboe." He eyes me scathingly. "Brought back by Leara."

"Who are you?" I ask again.  
The man gives a sweeping bow. "Forgive my rude behavior. My name is Jaxt; apprentice to Lord Darcia the Third, the One who will Save Us All."

_Jaxt_. The name sends a primitive warning through me, and I find myself snarling like a wolf.  
Jaxt laughs. "Ah, such a wild one you've turned out to be, Leara!" He says. His pitiless eyes bore into mine, and I feel as if I'm drowning.  
_"Come with me, Leara,"_ A seductive voice echoes in my mind. _"Come with me willingly, and I will not hurt your wolf pack. It will be so much easier on everyone; they won't have to put up with you, a mere human. Don't you owe them that, Leara? Don't you want to save them from what's coming?"  
__It would be easier…_I concede to the unseen voice. _I could stop putting them in danger…they would be happier without me…_My heart swells with sadness, and I feel myself falling deeper into a void I know I won't be able to escape.  
_I should just quit now…_

_NO!_ Something inside me snarls. _You can't give up! Everything, everyone depends on you! Don't let that cur trick you! FIGHT BACK, LEARA._  
New strength bubbles within me, and I struggle against the overwhelming feeling of sadness that had overcome me. I blink, and I find myself on the floor with Toboe crouched protectively over me. I'm still looking into Jaxt's eyes.  
"Clever girl," He sneers. "But you know I was right. It's only a matter of time-"

A streak of leather rockets pass and hits Jaxt squarely in the chest. Jaxt stumbles and Tsume turns to me and throws me easily over his shoulder  
"RUN ALREADY!" He yells. He doesn't need to say it twice. The others follow him as he races towards the exit, as fast as lightening. A man tries to stop us, but Tsume dispatches him easily with a flick of his wrist, and we're free.  
"I'll see you again, Leara." Jaxt's voice calls after us in an almost pleasant tone. His next words make me tremble. "I'll see you at the Gates to Paradise."

--

The pack takes no chances; we race away from the ruins of Spine City, not stopping for a good two hours. My side aches horribly, but I say nothing, eager to get away from Jaxt. _He's just a Noble's puppet. _I try to tell myself. But somehow I know that's not true. There's something about Jaxt that makes me want to claw, to snarl, to bite. Just his name makes me want to growl.  
I lay my head against Tsume's shoulder, watching dully as my blood soaks his jacket. We say nothing, until at 

last we're miles away, hidden by a wall of rocks.  
As soon as we stop, Tsume drops me unceremoniously to the ground, though I land softly. Toboe and Chanson lay down beside me, not bothering with their human disguises. Zari lies by Broma, who's sitting at the far corner of the shade provided by the rocks.  
"Who the hell was _that?_" Tsume asks.  
"He said his name's Jaxt," I reply quietly. "He claims to be the apprentice of Lord Darcia."  
The name sends a sputter through the gray wolf. "Darcia…" He trails off, lost in thought. I blink, and for a moment, I think I see a clear image of Tsume the Wolf. But before I can say anything, that strange force is back, pushing my sight away from him.  
"I got a bad feeling from that human," Chanson whimpers. She snuggles beside me. "He smelt like…like…"  
"Like death." Broma finishes tonelessly. "I've heard about Jaxt. He's the leader of the Hunters. Though how he's connected to Darcia, I haven't heard…"

I shiver involuntarily and wince at the pain it causes my wound. "There's something evil about him…something I can't put my finger on…"  
Tsume shrugs. "He probably has a big bark and no bite."  
Toboe looks up at Tsume, as if realizing that he's here for the first time. "Why did you help us, Tsume?"  
The gray wolf looks nonchalant. "I'm in the girl's debt," He says. "And, plus, I couldn't let that idiot kill you."  
Toboe looks hopeful. "Really? Does that mean you remember me?"  
"No! We have a score to settle, you and I. And I can't let someone kill you off."  
Toboe gives a weak smile. "C'mon, Tsume, admit it; you _do_ remember me."  
Tsume scowls. "Don't push it, kid."  
"Are you going to come with us, then?" Broma asks. He looks at Tsume with troubled eyes.  
Tsume looks uncomfortable, but nods. "Didn't you hear me? I said I'm in the girl's debt. I'll stay with her until I pay her back…plus, there's nothing for me at that dump of a city now. I'm sure it's already swarming with Nobles, anyway."  
Toboe smiles. "You won't regret it, Tsume."  
"Whatever, kid."

* * *

**A/N:** Phew, that chapter was action packed, wasn't it? It was super fun to write, though.

I must say THANK YOU to all my reviewers; your reviews have helped me to tweak a few things. And though most of you are guessing as to the meaning of Leara's dream in from two chapters ago, I won't say as to whether any of your guesses are correct (that would ruin the story!)

AND, I must also say THANK YOU because this is my first story to ever reach nearly 50 reviews! Dances happily If this ever makes it to 100, then I will probably pass out from excitement.

And one last thing...  
I may be a writer, but that doesn't make me an artist; and I've been wondering if my descriptions of my characters (even "my" grown up Leara and Toboe, though I use the word "my" very, very lightly) fit what I pictured in my head. So I was wondering if anyone who's skilled with drawing and such would draw them for me? I'd be eternally in your debt if you did (Though I won't follow you to Paradise like Tsume's doing for Leara...lol)  
If you'd like to draw them, just send me a message telling me if you'd like to draw just one charrie, or them all.  
I'd definately give the artist credit, as well as post links to the drawings on my profile.

Till next chapter!  
-Madison


	11. Instinct

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* * *

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Chapter 10

* * *

_Beauty surrounds me. Jade grass carpets the earth, as soft as the first downy feathers of a baby bird, and the sky overhead is the purest blue imaginable. Before me, the earth stretches on endlessly, past the horizon, until it blends with the unblemished sky. The beauty of this place is ethereal, almost holy; the promised land of yore. Wildflowers dot the jade grass, adding an array of jewels to the necklace of the land. I study the landscape with wide eyes, amazed by the beauty though I do not question how I've come to be standing in this meadow of dreams. Nor do I ask why I am the only one who stands in the vast beauty of the untouched land, because my memories are fuzzy, lost amidst the beauty of the land.  
I lay back on the bed of grass and close my eyes, letting my other senses expand into this awing landscape. My nose picks up the sweet, moist scent of fresh water on the air; my ears catch the faintest whisper of a bird's wing against the sky and underneath me, the earth feels cool and stabilizing to my touch. _

_Beauty surrounds me, fills me, and makes me feel as if I could run to the top of the moon and beyond. This strange and powerful feeling sends a song through my veins, a tremor down my spine, and suddenly I'm filled with the need to run, to feel my body as it moves against the very forces of nature itself. _

_I snap my eyes open and jump to my feet, and in an instant, I'm off and running. I don't have a destination, and I don't care. My feet pound out a rhythm on the soft earth, my legs stretching as far as they're able. The ground moves quickly underneath me, as if I'm pulling it out from under me by running as swiftly as the wind. I'm running so fast, that the sights begin to blur before my eyes, yet my gaze is set ahead of me; I never look back to see what I'm leaving behind, if it's worth the trouble of turning back for. Why should I turn back when I have so much ahead? It would just waste my time._

_My breath is surprisingly steady, and my arms pump in a primitive beat. My nose fills with the musk of a thousand ripe summer storms that have never been unleashed on this promised earth; it's a heady and overwhelming scent that makes me dizzy from the unused power it contains, the awesome promise of ferocity that has never been unleashed. The primal, forceful scent makes me want to sing in the glory of nature, to give praise to all things of the woods and earth and sky. _

_Before me, a sudden shadow looms, and I slow my pace. I edge closer, throwing caution to the wind, feeling invincible. Jutting from the ground like a dagger through the land's heart is a shaft of brilliant white stone, about six feet high and two feet wide. Curiosity overcomes me, and I walk fearlessly forward. As I draw closer to the pillar, I can see that it's not pure white, but instead it's marbled with various shades of blue, red and a deep black that smears the beauty of the pillar. Figures have been carved into every side, and the characters depicted send a distant, dull thrill through me. Unsurprisingly, wolves make up the scenes on the pillar; wolves of every hue, of every size. In the middle of the pillar, a carved moon shines, full and bright and watchful like an all seeing eye. In the middle of the moon, a flower of great beauty blooms. Its blossoms are of pale marble, pale as moonlight, and its leaves are thrown upward. The moon is flanked by four wolves; a scrawny looking pup at the bottom, a bulky wolf to the right, and rather chubby wolf to the left and atop the moon sits a regal wolf with knowing eyes. The four wolves watch, their gazes protective and baleful. Though they make up the center of the pillar, another image draws my eye. I circle it slowly, the images striking a part of my soul I thought had been forgotten. To the right of the guardian wolves, four other wolves stand. Two young wolves are seated, their heads thrown back in song. The two other wolves are marbled with gray and white, though the one who seems so cold has a large streak of black in him. Another wolf sits apart from the two; his carved eyes alight with mischief and some other emotion that evades me. He is eyeing a human-like figure with distinctly feminine features; slender hands, curvy hips and a voluptuous chest. Tears cascade down her cheeks, a river of pain and regret and yearning. My gaze follows the tears, and I find that I'm staring at a beautiful carved she wolf, with streaks of white and black in her fur. Beside her, the girl from before stands, her hand on the wolf's neck. Both of their heads are thrown back, howling at the untamed sky, where a moon the color of blood shines._

_I turn my head away from the dagger made of stone and scenes, bile rising in my throat. There was something about the last image that makes me want to cringe, to rub the scenes out from existence. I turn to leave, and I find myself face to face with the wolf from my earlier dreams. Her eyes seem duller, and her coat is mangy._

"_Come. Walk with me." She says serenely, as if she'd been expecting me all this time. I don't question her, and follow without thought._

_We walk silently, our footsteps muffled by the soft earth. I notice the she-wolf favoring her left side. Her breathing is ragged and she struggles to walk. However, her wild integrity remains, and she throws her proud eyes up to mine._

"_Where are we?" I ask before she can get a word in. The she wolf smiles softly. _

"_This is a dream to you, Leara, though it could be so much more if you allow it." She says cryptically. I look at my surroundings; at the rippling fields of grass, of the unblemished sky. I feel the wind caress my cheek, and I shiver. _

"_Is this Paradise?"_

"_No. This is my world." She replies sadly. "Or, depending on how you look at it, my prison. You cannot enter it, not yet. You've only come here with my aid, so we could talk."_

"_What was that pillar?" My question leaves my lips without a thought. The she wolf's ears fall flat against her skull._

"_That was the Story." She says simply, as if that explained everything. "You needn't concern yourself with it. Not yet."_

"_You are doing well in gathering the scattered pack," She continues. "But you are not trying hard enough to unlock your true potential."_

"_What do you mean?" My reply lingers on the sweet-scented air, unsure of where to settle. The she-wolf pauses, favoring her right foreleg. Her piercing eyes bore into mine, their intensity frightening._

"_Leara, you are a liability in your current state," The wolf says it with a hint of agitation in her voice. "You cannot fight, you cannot hunt, and you can barely keep pace with them as it is. Your journey draws ever more perilous, and you will cause the death of them if you continue the way you are."_

_Pain wretches in my gut and all the unwanted memories come flooding back. My father's murder, the escape from the city, Broma and Chanson and Zari, and finally, Tsume. My side stings and the phantom of pain returns in solid form once again, making me clutch my side. My ribs ache and I picture Jaxt watching me with his pitiless eyes, and for the first time since entering this place, fear rushes through me._

"_I can't help being what I am." I reply, my side aching. "And I'm human. There's nothing special about me."_

_The she wolf suddenly snarls, her eyes alight with a fierce fire. Quicker than I can follow, she launches herself at me and knocks me down. Her front paws pin my shoulders, and her back legs form a cage around my hips. Her lips pull back, revealing pearly white fangs. Her breath smells of hot meat and sweet milk. A sharp smell of iron tinges her coat._

"_You think that you are just a mere _human_ after everything that has happened to you?" She growls thunderously. "That you just happened upon the wolves by mistake? You are foolish to believe so."_

"_It's just coincidence that I can see the wolves." I snap back, my earlier mood of joy forgotten. "It's a gift that I don't want."_

_The she-wolf's snarling booms and her teeth graze my throat threateningly, though I know she will not harm me. "If you believe such, you are more foolish than I thought!" She pulls her jaws away from my vulnerable skin. "Leara, you are the key to saving the wolves. You have great power, power that can change the world and open the gates, if you only allow yourself to unleash it."_

"_What do you mean?" I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me. "What gates are you talking about? What power do I possibly have?"_

_The she wolf growls uneasily and gracefully hops off of me. She lowers her gaze. "I've said too much. You have to find out on your own."_

_Anger flickers within me, an emotion that doesn't fit this ethereal place and makes the beauty seem less substantial somehow._

"_I think you've said too little," I snap. "Why do you have to say everything in cryptic messages? Why is it that I have this gift-curse, this ability to see the wolves? What power do I have that makes me the one to fit all these puzzle pieces together?"_

_The she wolf looks out to the endless horizon. The gentle wind ruffles her midnight and moonlight marbled fur, and her bushy tail lowers slightly. I stand defiantly, not ready to yield until my part in this tangled path to Paradise is revealed._

"_So many questions that you should know the answers to," The she-wolf says quietly. Her ferocity from moments before has dissipated, replaced by a note of weary resignation. "I had expected you to realize…to remember…but I suppose, after all this time, it is too much to hope for."_

_The hopelessness in her voice melts my anger, though the frustration remains. "What do you mean? What am I supposed to remember?"_

"_I cannot say. I am bound."_

_The frustration I've felt since Toboe saved me from Katsuye's gang—the helplessness I feel around my pack everyday-- bubbles over. My face contorts, and I feel a snarl curling my lip._

"_If you can't tell me anything, then how am I supposed to find out about myself?" My voice sounds strange to me, a wild and untamed thing that sends ripples of primitive emotion through me. I step forward, closer to the she wolf. She looks at me with surprise in her eyes. _

"_If you want me to start being an asset to my pack, then point me in the right direction instead of just mumbling some crap about being 'chosen' and how I'm a 'liability'! Don't you think I know that already? Don't you think it hurts me that I can't protect them the way they've protected me?"_

_Something flickers in the she-wolf's eyes, and she rounds to meet me, her stance casually aggressive. "You don't care because you haven't tried. You haven't tried to unlock the dreams or your power, like I told you last time. Until you try to help yourself, you are right. You are just a human."_

_At that, something within me snaps, and I launch myself at the she-wolf. She nimbly dodges my attempt, though the pain in her side is evident as she grimaces. I land in a crouching position, my hands spread on the cool earth to catch myself, and I spin back around towards the she wolf and I snarl like an animal. The pretty midnight-moonlight colored wolf has a strange smile on her face, and her eyes are gentle._

"_That's it, Leara. Unlock your potential." She says, a new hope rekindled in her tone. She raises her eyes and holds my gaze. "Use your anger, your frustration, as a springboard, but do not always rely on it. Remember to love, Leara, but remember to use your less human side as well."_

_Her words evaporate my sudden frustration, and I slowly rise to my feet. 'What just happened?' I wonder. The she wolf, catching my thoughts, answers without needing a prompt._

"_It is the first step to your power," She says quietly, reverently. "Remember the feeling, Leara. Don't let yourself forget, for if you do, it will mean the end of the wolves."_

"_But how—?"_

_The she-wolf throws her head up suddenly, her eyes narrowing. Her nose twitches, and a new snarl forms on her muzzle. _

"_We've run out of time. He's found me." She growls. The she-wolf turns to me, her hackles rising, and she limps to my side. _

"_I will come for you again, when it is safe." She says. Her eyes flicker to the sky, which has begun to darken without warning. Thunder booms ominously in the distance, and the birdsong has vanished. The she wolf stands on her back legs, resting her front legs on my shoulders. I hadn't realized she was so big until her eyes were level with mine._

"_Do not be afraid to unlock your power, Leara!" She hisses. "Unlock your potential and become what you are meant to be!"_

_She licks the center of my forehead gently. The spot tingles from her touch, and I find myself growing groggy. My knees buckle and I fall to the soft earth, my eyes already closing._

_The she wolf's voice whispers to me one last time. "Unleash your instincts."_

_The darkness closes around me like waves, and I find I'm powerless to stop it. _

**-0000**

I bolt awake with a start, my heart pounding furiously in my chest. The dream is vivid in my mind, the she-wolf's words echoing in my ears.

_Unleash your instincts_ she'd said. What had she meant by that? What instincts could she possibly be talking about?

I stretch haphazardly, wincing at the pain in my side. After our escape from Tsume's former gang two days ago, we had traveled almost nonstop to get away from Jaxt. Normally, I would have been able to keep pace with the rest of the pack, but due to Tsume's little 'love bite', I was lagging behind. My strength was at a minimal, and my patience wasn't much better, having been worn thin by Tsume's casually snide remarks and Zari's persistent taunting.

"Are you okay, Leara?" Chanson pads softly to my side, her eyes wide with concern. She'd been keeping watch over me since I'd been injured and hadn't left my side. It was very sweet, but I left awkward with the pup taking care of me. After all, I'm a nearly full grown woman, and she was…well, a pup. The roles should have been reversed.

Before I can reply, Broma's standing at Chanson's side; his eyes narrowed and gaze intense. "Leara, I need to speak with you." He glances at Chanson. "Alone."

I frown. Broma has never tried to seek me out, or to be the sole receiver of my attention. I study the blood-colored wolf; his eyes, though intense, are filled with shadows. His ears droop and his muzzle is set in a slight snarl.

"Chanson, sweetheart, will you please go find out what Toboe and the others are doing?" I assign her the first meaningless, trivial task that comes to mind. She grumbles under her breath, but complies and sulkily walks away.

As soon as she's out of earshot, I turn to the blood-wolf before me. "What is it, Broma? Is there something wrong?"

The dark red wolf slips into his human illusion soundlessly. His blue-white human eyes look out onto the horizon, and the wind tousles his coppery hair.

"I don't trust this Tsume." He says bluntly. "There's something about him that makes me very…uneasy."

I sigh. "Broma, I know that Tsume's a bit..." I pause, trying to find the correct word to describe the gray wolf. "…_Difficult _to deal with, but he's the one that Toboe's been searching for. Whether we like it or not, he's apart of the pack."

Broma purses his lips into a thin line and he gives me a dubious look. "Leara, you know that he's not good for us. I know you've noticed the way Toboe's been acting since he joined up with us."

I frown and I open my mouth to reassure the male, to say something along the lines of how Toboe's perfectly okay and that he's just tired, but the words won't come because he's right. The dusty adolescent had been acting strange ever since we left the city. More specifically, since Tsume joined my pack and I on our way to Paradise (even if he didn't believe in it or remember anything about his true self). Toboe had become like a pup again; eager to please his long-lost pack mate, and quick to back up whatever Tsume said. He went out of his way to do little things that he thought would earn Tsume's praise; the dusty wolf hunted more often and brought Tsume the choice cuts from the kill, and his attention was always on Tsume's needs.

Broma presses further. "Tsume's making Toboe weak and thoughtless. Because of that gray wolf, Toboe's been setting too hard of a pace for you, with your wound."

I'm taken aback by the concern in Broma's usually cool eyes, and I feel myself tense. I didn't want to be looked after by the pack, and yet all the emotions I could coax out of them were those of duty, pity and disgust. Duty to protect me; pity at my fragile human state; and disgust that I couldn't ever possibly keep up with my pack mates.

Broma's gaze makes my skin crawl but I raise my eyes to his. His cool human eyes fade away, and I see the flash of his gold eyes, his wolf's eyes.

"I can keep up perfectly," I reply coolly. "And I wouldn't worry about Toboe. I'm sure it's just his excitement at seeing Tsume again."

Broma snorts. "Sure. If that's what you call _excitement_." His human project gestures behinds me. I turn to see Chanson leading Tsume, Toboe and Zari towards us. I watch soundlessly as Toboe—his human projection gone-- playfully nips Tsume's leg, before giving a quick nip to his hand. Toboe's tail is wagging furiously, and a whimper of puppyish eagerness escapes him. Tsume looks at the dusty-colored wolf with contempt and irritation.

"Quit it, kid." He growls. I can tell by his exasperated tone that this has been going on quite a while. Under Tsume's intense glare, Toboe tucks his tail between his legs. As soon as the gray wolf looks away, he's back to playfully biting the material of Tsume's pants. Anger and annoyance at the young wolf fill my veins; why is he acting like such a puppy?

"Mark me, Leara; Tsume's going to bring nothing but trouble to the pack." Broma's words cause my gaze to return to him, and I find myself staring into his hauntingly human blue-white eyes. "With Tsume around, Toboe's not going to act like a wolf; he'll just be a puppy." Broma pauses and a warm emotion replaces his concern. "You need a real wolf, Leara, not some dust-colored pup. Remember that I'm here, when you're ready to accept that fact."

Without another word, Broma pads over to Zari's side, leaving me gaping. _What was _that_ about?_

I watch the blood-wolf silently, my thoughts racing. I hadn't really gotten to know Broma as well as the other wolves--excluding the hostile Zari and the newly arrived Tsume--but apparently, he'd 

gotten to know me over the past few weeks of traveling together. I see through the red wolf's bipedal disguise, and study his true form: the sleek blood colored fur whipping in the breeze; the long, graceful limbs, the cunning muzzle. He glances my way, as if he knows I'm watching him, and his golden-gaze sends a shock through me.

…_Broma…_

"Nice to see you're awake, Sleeping Beauty." Tsume's smart remark rouses me from my thoughts, and I bite back my equally smart reply. Though I know that Tsume doesn't mean any harm to my pack, there's something about him that gnaws at me. Mainly, it's the fact that his true form is still foggy behind his human façade. Why couldn't he see what he really was? I had thought by now that he would have remembered, but every time I tried to nudge his memory, he acted as if I was pulling his tooth. I'd stopped my efforts at restoring his lineage…for now, anyway.

"Good morning to you too, Tsume." I say, trying to restrain my smart-mouth. "Where were you guys? Did you go hunting?"

I try a gentle prod, though Tsume balks instantly. "What am I, an animal? I let the pipsqueak do the dog's job."

Toboe ignores the jib and settles beside Tsume, looking every inch like the dog Tsume called him.

Broma's expression darkens. "He's not the one who won't even try to remember his proper body." He snaps.

The gray wolf coolly eyes the red male, cocking an eyebrow. "I don't know what you're talking about, _Rover_, but you'd better watch your mouth or I could very well take that as a challenge."

"Why should I? It's not like you can do anything about it. You're just a human, after all."

Chanson steps between the two males, trying to relieve the tension that's quickly filling the air. "Stop it, please! Can't you be nice to each other?"

Broma's ears flatten against his skull as he turns his back to the beta male and quietly walks away. Tsume watches the blood-red wolf and a smirk flits across his lips.

"Well now that Mr. Pissy's gone." Tsume turns to me, hands on his hips. "Can you _please_ tell the kid to heel? I swear he won't give me a moment's peace. And tell him to lose the fur coat already. It's making me sneeze."

Toboe looks hurt at the accusation though his human projection pops up before I can say anything.

Tsume ignores the puppyish wolf and meets my gaze. "So, girl, are we ready to head out? I think we still need to cover more distant before we're really safe from…Jaxt."

The name sends a shiver down my spine, and the wound on my side throbs. _Jaxt._ His name whispers in my mind and settles like honeyed poison. The Hunter's image flashes in my mind's eye, and a sense of familiarity washes over me. There's something about his eyes… they used to be different… but how...?

A soft nose nudges my arm and the sweet scent of a warm den and milk wash over me. I blink, and find that Chanson has made herself comfortable in my lap, looking up at me with her innocent gaze. How did I end up on the ground?

"Are you okay Leara?" Her eyes relay her concern, though that same concern suddenly repulses me. I firmly push her out my lap and stand shakily to my feet. Confusion and hurt enter Chanson's eyes at my rough touch, and though I know I should feel regret, I can't summon the feeling. All I feel is a simmering anger, an anger that I've kept hidden for far too long.

"Let's go." I bark.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"I spy with my little eye, something--ZARI, LET GO OF MY TAIL!"

I grind my teeth together and count to ten before I turn to confront the scene behind me. We've been walking for three hours now, and my patience had run out about four hours ago. I turn and see Zari with his sister's bushy tail in his jaws, the little she-wolf howling in pain.

"Zari, let go." I snap.

The young male--as always--ignores me, and gives his sister another vicious yank. Chanson turns and swipes at her brother, a little snarl on her muzzle.

I'm going to scream.

Broma comes to my rescue by giving Zari a nip of his own. "Quit it, Zari." He says in a low growl. Zari yelps and instantly releases his sister's tail, and immediately starts sulking. Broma pads to my side, leaving a sore Zari and a pouting Chanson behind us.

"We should probably stop soon," He says, running a hand through his copper hair. "The pups are getting tired and hungry. You look like you could use some rest, too."

My jaw tightens involuntarily. I'm surprised my teeth haven't fallen out yet.

"I'm fine, Broma." I manage to ground out. "Just look after the pups, okay? I can't handle them today."

Broma and I walk together in awkward silence, though that doesn't faze me. My thoughts are tuned to the couple a few yards ahead of me-- Tsume and Toboe. As much as I didn't want to admit it, Broma was right; Toboe _had _changed since the gray wolf had shown back up. He hadn't even tried talking to me; his attention was solely on Tsume. A deep sense of injustice pierces me at the sight of those two together. If it wasn't for me, Toboe would have never found Tsume. If it wasn't for me, Toboe wouldn't have even remembered _what_ he was.

But I wasn't jealous.

Not over two old pack mates reuniting.

I couldn't be jealous about Toboe's affections for the gray wolf…

Could I?

I growl in frustration, and an overpowering choking sensation blocks my throat. I need to get away from them, to be human for a mere moment instead of pretending in the presence of the wolves. Without thinking, I run away from my pack, ignoring Chanson's yelp of protest, the feel of Broma's haunting eyes on the back of my neck as I go.

_Why am I so upset over Toboe and Tsume?_ I ask myself. _They're just reconnecting. There's nothing more there._

But I knew I was lying to myself. I had seen the way Toboe looked at Tsume; eyes full of love and loyalty and complete devotion. My instinct was telling me it wasn't a brotherly love that Toboe had for Tsume.

It was a love that was taboo in wolf culture.

It was a love that may forever go unrequited.

It was a love that would cause Toboe pain beyond words.

It was a condemned love.

But still, it was love.

The realization of it all makes me want to yell in frustration. Where did that leave Toboe and I? What was I to him? A human he had to protect or a pack mate that he loved? Or was I just a way to Paradise?

I pause, my lungs gasping for air. I look up and study the unfamiliar landscape; a dry canyon opens before me like a great maw of a beast. The sky above it is marbled blue and gray, with quickly gathering storm clouds. The winds gusts fiercely, and I realize I've been running into the jaws of a summer thunderstorm.

**BAM!**

Something knocks into me, and sends me sprawling onto the dry floor. I barely have time to whip around before claws rake the tender flesh surrounding my knife-wound. I suppress my scream and look up to see my attacker. A great cat crouches over me, with great furry ears and sharp dilated eyes. Canines the size of small steak-knifes glisten in the lightening, and its hiss roars like thunder.

Anger floods my veins. I'm not going to let myself be made into cat-nip. Not after everything I've been through.

_Unleash your instincts, Leara. _The she-wolf of my dreams whispers to me. Her words fuel my anger, the all encompassing fire that's racing in my body. Everything slows down, so that I feel like I can see the big cat's movements before they happen. I watch as the cat swings its paws—giant claws unsheathed—down towards my head in slow motion. I quickly dodge out of the way, under the beast's belly and free myself. The cat whirls, surprised by my agility.

_You are just a human. _The she-wolf's mocking voice enters my mind, and my fury grows. I want to bite, to claw, to snarl; to prove that her words are wrong, that I'm strong and fierce. My hands itch and my teeth ache, though I ignore the discomfort. My nose picks up the scent of the cat; dusty and gamy. For a moment, I imagine that my ears twitch and that I can hear the big cat breathing.

I snarl, tired of being _just a human_, tired of being the prey when I could be the predator.

"I'm not just a human!" My voice rises to a howl, just as the cat leaps, claws welcoming me and teeth flashing. But I don't back down. I lunge towards the cat's throat.

Blood fills my mouth as my teeth connect with flesh, and I give in to the instinct to rip, to tear. Distantly, I hear the cat's screams; feel its desperate attempts to swipe me off of its body. None of it matters, not with the delicious tang of blood in my mouth, not with the fierce song that's thrumming through my veins.

_Unleash your true potential._

I snarl and rip some more, tasting the cat's lifeblood as it pools to the gaping, welcoming desert floor.

Dimly, I realize that the cat has stopped thrashing. I release my hold on the cat--the corpse--and pace around my kill-- only to realize I'm walking on four feet instead of two, and that the itching in my hands and feet has become unbearable.

I gaze at my kill without remorse, the fury in my veins still very much in control.

_Who's the weakling now?_ I want to yell. Instead I growl before the world turns black around me.

**A/N: **GAH, I am SO SO sorry it took me 2 months to get this chapter up. But these past two months have been crazy. School's out, and just as I thought I'd be able to work on my story full time, what happens?

**My computer crashed. And all my files got screwed up.  
**

xx

I nearly died.  
All I can say is, thank what ever diety you like for floppy discs

But anyway, I hope yall like this new chapter. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far; yall are what keeps me going that and the fact I'm curious to see where my imagination will take me on this story

Reviews are welcome!

Until next time!  
-Madison


	12. Moonlight

_My aching head._

I wake up with that thought and an extreme throbbing in my skull. I open my eyes, squinting against the bright light that pierces through to the back of my head. My body feels stretched too tight, and I'm too hot; I feel like I'm a rubber band about to snap in two. My skin prickles as my body releases me from my deep sleep, and I feel a rush of cool wind on my face. I yawn, and as I do so, I realize there's a strange taste in my mouth. A thick irony tang coats my tongue, though I can't remember what I ate last. I lick the corners of my mouth and taste more of the strange flavor. Even the small motion sends a wave of exhaustion through me. I can't suppress my moan of fatigue.

"Leara!"

The sound of Chanson's voice is like the explosion of a rocket and my ears feel like they're bleeding from the echo of her voice. I want to say something to her, but the humming in my ears stops me from doing any more besides whimpering in pain.  
"Quiet, Chanson," Broma's cool voice soothes the harsh ringing in my ears, but only slightly. "Give Leara some room."

Slowly and painfully, I pull myself into a sitting position, squinting against the brilliant rays of the setting sun. I blink and register the furry faces of my pack-mates gazing at me, though the concern on Broma and Chanson's faces catches me off guard.

"What happened?" I ask. The sound of my voice surprises me--it's hoarse, as if I hadn't drunken anything for days.

Chanson licks her lips nervously, and her gaze flickers to Broma. The blood-wolf's eyes are curiously gentle, and I notice suddenly how he's standing, how they're all standing.

Arraigned in a semi-circle, facing me, as if they're trying to block something from my view—or to keep me enclosed.  
My head pound as a memory tries to re-surface from my foggy recollection.  
I struggle to get my feet underneath me, but before I can stand up, Toboe is there, his human projection in my way. His gaze locks with mine.

"Maybe you should sit down for a bit longer," He says. "You've lost more blood."

I look down at my side, where my knife-wound was, and gasp to see the long, fresh gouges in my skin. How did I get those?  
I study the wound, trying to dredge up my memories. Five long, clean swipes across my ribs.  
_Claw marks.  
_The realization hits me like a ton of bricks, and suddenly, I know what the pack's trying to hide from me.

With the little strength I have, I push Toboe aside and stagger from the pack's protective semi-circle. What I see sends chills down my spine. The cat, lying in a pool of its own blood, its eyes staring vacantly upward. I see the gaping hole where its throat once was, and memory floods through me.

_I killed the cat!_ My thoughts scream. _But how…?_

I lick my dry lips in contemplation, and I taste that strange coppery flavor on my skin.

A wave of nausea hits me as I taste the blood in my mouth.

My knees buckle and I vomit violently, sickened by the sight in front of me.

_What have I done? And how did I do it without getting killed?_ I wonder as my body tries to rid itself of the cat's blood in my stomach. The memory of the fight flashes in my head. _It was almost as if… as if I were a wolf._

Soon enough, my stomach is emptied and I hastily wipe my mouth with my dirty sleeve. I turn hesitantly to my pack-mates, afraid of their reaction to my weakness as well as my kill.

"Leara, what happened?" Toboe is the first to speak. For a moment, his gaze isn't on Tsume, but on me.  
"I killed the cat," My voice is a mere whisper. "It tried to kill me, but I…I attacked it instead."

Broma's ears quiver, as if he hears something beyond what I've said so far.

"How, though? How could _you_ kill a wildcat?" He asks, disbelief in his eyes.

I look at the cat's corpse, my own eyes wide. "I…bit it…I bit its throat."

Surprise flickers across Broma's muzzle and Tsume eyes me warily.

"You tore its throat out?" Tsume asks skeptically. A flash of anger surges through me, a shadow of the fury that had possessed me earlier.

"If you don't believe me, look for yourself." I snap. "My teeth marks are visible, even from here."

Tsume shrugs nonchalantly, though there is a spark of fear in the curve of his smirk. He kneels beside the bloody scene, his eyes carefully studying the cat's shredded neck, while Broma silently eyes me with a nondescript expression. Chanson bounds to my side, giving my cheek a quick and gentle lick, though that doesn't distract me from the issue at hand.  
I gather my legs underneath me and stand, only wobbling slightly. I suddenly find myself repulsed by my weakness. _Get a grip on yourself; you're not half dead._ Determined to ignore the aches and protests of my worn-out body, I plant my feet firmly on the ground and take a deep breath, closing my eyes in concentration.

"When I left you all, I was angry," I begin to explain. "And annoyed and frustrated. So when the cat attacked, I just…channeled all those emotions…to attack it. I let my instincts take control, let my body react to what was happening, because I was—I _am_—tired of being just a human…and then, after I'd…torn its throat out…I collapsed. Next thing I know, all of you are here, trying to wake me up."  
Silence greets my monologue. I open my eyes to see the faces of my pack mates in disbelief and awe. Chanson looks as if she wants to howl with joy, while Zari and Toboe look stunned. Broma… Broma's face is expressionless, though his eyes betray a slight panic.

"You…unleashed your instincts?" The blood-wolf repeats. I meet his gaze with my own.  
"I've been having these dreams lately… dreams about a she-wolf."

Broma's face drains of all color, and a small snarl forms on his lips. Tsume looks at me from over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised in a questioning expression.

"So what, you're going wolf too?" He smirks. His words—which had been meant as a joke--are met with astonished glances and surprise.  
I feel my heart beat faster in my chest. Was such a thing even possible? Could a human turn into a wolf, out of sheer necessity?  
I shake my head slowly. "I don't know…well, I don't _think _so, anyway. Who ever heard of a human turning into a wolf?"

Broma suddenly turns his back to me, facing the direction of the sunset. His hair whips in the breeze, and in the silhouette of the sunset, he looks like a lone hero out of an old comic book, or maybe even the villain. The others don't notice his strange behavior though; instead, their eyes are locked on me.

"Maybe you're acting this way because of the moon," Chanson suddenly suggests with an air of childish wisdom.  
I reluctantly release my gaze from Broma, and turn my eyes up to the quickly rising moon. I want to gasp from the beauty of it. The darkening sky is the perfect background for the silver orb that's filling the night with its light. The moon is as round as an eye, and seems to be as all-seeing; the eye of a human, the eye of a wolf. I find myself mesmerized by the pearl of the night; the mere sight of its dim outline makes me want to dance, to sing for the pure beauty of nature, the joy of being free.

Instead, I look earthward, grounding my thoughts and my strange fantasies. Toboe and Tsume are looking at me strangely, while the pups' eyes lay on the moon.  
"It can't be that," I answer their unasked question softly. "The moon's never held power over me before…and why would it change now?"

Toboe cocks his head to the side. "Do you think it's because you've been around us for so long?"

"She's nothing special, kid," Tsume interrupts. "Just a human. And humans aren't affected by the moon."  
For once, Tsume is right. There is no way that the full moon holds sway over me.

"I think we should keep moving until nightfall," Broma's voice is strangely distant and his eyes seem dull. "When the moon rises, we'll stop and have the rites of the full moon. For the pups' sakes."

I want to protest this change in subject—after all, the mystery of how I'd managed to kill a full grown mountain cat was still unsolved—but I was cut off by the joyful cries of Chanson and Zari.

"Full moon rites are always fun!" Chanson yips. She prances in excitement, her tail wagging furiously. Zari's reaction is slightly more nullified than his sister's, yet its there all the same.

Broma catches my eye, and his reasoning becomes clear to me. The pups shouldn't be subjected to any more strange occurrences. This is something that the older members of the pack will deal with, while the pups try to enjoy a façade of normalcy.  
Toboe glances toward the direction of the rising moon and quickly looks at me. "Leara…if you feel as if...you need to stop or anything…just say something."

I snort derisively, and a spark of fierce independence flares within me. "_Now_ you're concerned about the pace? You don't need to worry about me anymore. I think that from now on, I'll be able to take care of myself."

Toboe lays his ears flat against his skull in what I know is chagrin. I degrade myself for hurting his feelings, but at the same time, I feel a tiny sense of triumph. _Hopefully he'll realize how much of a jerk he's been acting like._  
The dusty wolf dips his head in slight acknowledgment, and his eyes are soft. "You're right, Leara. Guess I really don't have to worry about you anymore."

--

As the sun completely sets over the horizon of the world, the moon's light takes over the night sky. The pups are rampant with the silvery light of the full moon; they yip and growl and playfully prance under its guiding eye. Even Toboe is caught up in the glory of the full moon. He is running amuck with the cubs as well, his amber eyes joyous and his steps light as if he's taking part in a dance. Even Broma—whose strange mood hadn't yet fully abated—is slightly cheerful. His eyes are glued to the moon, his tail wagging ever so slightly, though he doesn't join in the wild dance of the pups.

Tsume and I are the only ones not taking part in this moon-drunk spell. Tsume seems distracted, almost as if something's nagging at him. I don't pay much attention to the gray wolf; after all, I've got my own problems to solve. Like the one about me possibly turning into a wolf.

The thought of becoming a wolf makes me feel distressed and liberated at once. How would I react to losing my human body—the one I've had for seventeen years—and then gain a new, bestial one? Would I lose all my memories from my two-legged life? More importantly, how would I feel towards my pack? Would all my emotions towards them remain the same?

The thought of losing who I am sends a slick fear through me. What would be the point of becoming something else when I lose so much in return? Would the costs be worth the gain?  
I try to imagine myself as a wolf; a long legged, fit she-wolf with a pelt the dark color of my hair, and eyes of gold-brown. The image feels wrong somehow, and I shrug my musing aside. There was no possible way I could be turning into a wolf…

"How can they be so happy after everything that's happened?" Tsume's voice cuts my thoughts short, and I turn my attention to the gray wolf. His eyes are glued to Toboe's dancing form, though his expression is indecipherable and vague.

I shrug. "There are several reasons, I think. One, because they're young, and they are so full of life that they reach for the joy in all things. They embrace their past, while thinking only of the now and accepting their lives."

Tsume turns to me with a cheerless smile on his lips. "Aren't you the philosophical one tonight?"

I shrug again. "Maybe it's because I'm doing my own introspective analysis. Or maybe its because I'm confused about…well, everything."

Tsume makes a little _hmph_ sound, but otherwise says nothing. The only sounds I hear are the happy yips of the cubs and the deeper barks of Toboe.

"The runt irks me," Tsume says, breaking the peaceful silence. "He won't leave me alone, no matter how hard I try to get him to stay away."

"You're his pack-mate." I say simply. "He's not going to stop any time soon."

"But why is he so loyal? How can he be so willing to accept me?" Tsume's questions catch me off guard, and I turn to look at the gang-leader. There's something different about him; his expression is soft, and there's a strange guilt in his eyes.

"After everything that's happened between us, after our last lifetime, how can he still want to be with me?"

It hits me like a bolt of lightning, and I feel my jaw drop in surprise and realization.

"You _know_ you're a wolf. You recognized Toboe from the very beginning." The truth stumbles from my lips without any prodding. "You're deliberately trying to erase your true nature."

I realize now why Tsume's appearance seems so different. His human projection fades before my very eyes, and I can clearly see the gray wolf, the "X" scar on his chest turning silver in the moonlight.  
"Yes. I knew, from the moment Kip brought Toboe into the Spine City," Tsume admits needlessly. "I didn't want to remember him, though. I didn't want to have to face the fact that I wasn't there for him when he was killed. I didn't want the memories from our first journey, because then I would have had to accept my mistake…the mistake of not being there."

I stare at Tsume, my earlier assumptions of the pack beta forgotten. He had put himself into exile because he hadn't been there for Toboe? I hadn't realized that his loyalty ran so deeply, especially for the youngest member of his pack.

"I knew you remembered me, Tsume."

During Tsume's confession, I hadn't realized that the sounds of the full moon playing had ceased, and I'm surprised to see Toboe standing still. He'd obviously heard the entire conversation, and his eyes were alight with a mixture of joy and hurt.

"You're my pack, Tsume," The dusty wolf says proudly. "You, Kiba, Hige and Blue and Cheza, and now this new pack too. I don't blame you for my death, you know."

Tsume looks away from the dusty wolf, as if he wants to deflect his emotions. The big gray says nothing for a moment, before snapping his gaze back to Toboe's.

"Now that you know, will you stop bothering me?" The old Tsume is back, and a flood of relief fills me. In reply, Toboe launches himself at Tsume, playfully nipping at the gray's tail. Tsume growls, but even he is now moon-drunk, and drunk with the relief of telling the truth.

I watch as the pack plays underneath the moon, and a twinge of jealousy and yearning fills me. I find that I'm filled with the need to join in, to celebrate alongside them. I can't resist the urge; I throw myself in the circle of running wolves, spinning and dancing under the eye of the moon. They all surround me, creating a ring of fur and fang and claw. Their paw steps are thunderous on the caked earth, creating a bestial rhythm to our dance. As our beat reaches a crescendo, the wolves stop simultaneously and each throw their heads back as howls escape their throats. Their voices are each unique, yet they combine perfectly to form a whole; Tsume's voice, filled with raw power, merging with Toboe's gentle strength while Chanson's howl floods the sky with a sweet, untamed melody. Zari's tones are rough, though they carry within them a feeling of bravery and remorse. I close my eyes and spin dizzily, and I can almost hear words rise from the howls of the pack.

_Freedom of the untamed wolf, joy of pack and strength of claw; the moon rises and fall, huntress of the night, eye of the wolf in the dark. Howl to show life, live to show pride, proud to be free of heart; run to the path of Paradise._

The sheer raw beauty of the words that form in my head make my eyes swell with tears and my heart feel like bursting. I want to join their wild song, to glory in the night, but in my humanity, I find that I can't.

_Unleash your instincts,_ a voice within me whispers. The voice is as seductive as a lover, and just as encouraging. I can't deny the calling.

Without thinking, I throw my head back and let loose with my own song; a song made up of hums and unbridled melodies, of words and sounds alike. The wolves hear my own howl, and mingle it with their night song, until we become a glorious mixture of human and beast and I feel as if our sounds have eaten away at the stars. Even the very moon seems to be shining more brightly because of us.

No, not the moon.

_Flashlights._

"Toboe! Tsume, Zari, Chanson! Ru-"

My voice is cut off by a stinging in my arm. I look, and I see a single dart protruding from my skin, already pumping me full of sedatives. More shots are fired, and I hear the yelp of my pack mates as they are stung by the darts.

"We've got to…got to…" My words slur as the drugs in my system take effect. I feel myself falling toward the ground, and I hear my name being called, as if from far away.

"I'm glad we found each other again, Leara."

The last thing I see before I go under is Jaxt's face, outlined by the baleful and watchful moon.

* * *

**AN:** Yay, that was fun...though the writer's block I had wasn't fun at all.

You guys know the drill. Comments of any kind are always welcome.

-Madison


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